Japanese Army Handbook 1939-1945

JAPANESE ARMY HANDBOOK 1939-1945
A.J. Barker
LONDON
IAN ALLAN LTD
(OCRers NOTE: Apparently the Artwork and photos in this were in color, but the scan I found
and OCRed was in two colors.
SAY NO TO 2 COLOR SCANS. Also, it appears that the last couple of pages were missing;
possibly Appendixes 3 and 4)
Acknowledgements and Bibliography

The assistance of Mr K, M. White, Librarian at the Staff College, Camberley, is gratefully
acknowledged.
Because of the language problem there is a dearth of material on the technical aspects of
Japanese armament, and apart from the Penguin Special How the Jap Army Fights (published by
Penguin Books and the US Infantry Journal in June 1942), most of the available information has
been extracted from wartime classified publications not generally available to the public.
For the illustrations I must thank the Director and Photographic Librarian of the Imperial War
Museum, and the publishers of Imperial Japanese Army and Navy Uniforms and Equipment.
First published 1979 ISBN 0 7110 0833 7
© A. J. Barker 1979
Contents
1 The Japanese Soldier
2 Organisation of the Japanese Army
3 Japanese Infantry Weapons
4 Armour
5 Artillery and Mortars
6 Engineer and Chemical Warfare Units
7 Special Forces
8 The Japanese Army in Action
Appendices
1 Organisation of Japanese Infantry Divisions
2 Organisation of Japanese Independent Formations
3 Organisation of a Japanese Tank Regiment
4 Japanese Military Terms and Characters
Chapter 1 The Japanese Soldier

The source of strength for any military power lies in its people, from whom the common soldier
is drawn. In 1939 there were approximately 100 million Japanese citizens, 70 million of them in
Japan proper. Japan was a hardworking nation, eking out its sustenance from the often barren
land of those myriads of tight islands, and it retained its competitiveness in commerce through
the willingness of its workers to work longer hours for less pay. The standard of living was low
but the level of literacy fairly high. It had an economy and a psychology which produced soldiers
who were strong and willing, who were accustomed to hardships perhaps greater than those in
the normal course of military life, and who accepted military service as an inevitable and
honourable thing.
In World War II the Japanese soldier proved a tough enemy — daring in attack, stubborn in
defence. Even when his position seemed hopeless to him he usually fought on to the death. Right
up to the end of the war he showed little readiness to surrender and almost always preferred to
die in battle or take his own life rather than fall into the hands of his enemies. Few Japanese
prisoners surrendered voluntarily; most of them were either too weak or too ill to offer any
resistance or to commit suicide.
The reasons for the Japanese soldier's attitude and stern discipline lay in his early upbringing, his
education, and his Army training. For several centuries before Japan adopted a European army
system and introduced conscription (1872), the old warrior class — the Samurai — was held in
high esteem. The makers of the twentieth century Japanese Army were quick to realise the
advantages to be gained by continuing to foster this spirit, and so, by every means possible, the
heroism and noble calling of the warrior were praised. When Japan started on warlike ventures
and came out victorious, the prestige of the Army grew. The Japanese Army thus came to
occupy a unique position in Japan and for the 10 years before World War II it played a major
part in governing the nation.
Conscripts constituted the bulk of the army, and in normal times the term of service was two
years. Most of the men in the ranks were peasants well suited to army life since their harsh frugal
existence on Japanese farms had inured them to hardships. They were stocky, well built with
powerful backs accustomed to carrying heavy burdens, and — at the same time — simple, docile
and obedient.
Any male between the ages of 20 and 40 was eligible for military service and with an intake of
about 150,000 conscripts a year the Japanese had a standing army of about 375,000 at the time of
Pearl Harbor and about two million trained reserves. After the mobilisation which preceded Pearl
Harbor the call-up age was lowered from 20 to 19 and the military service age raised from 40 to
45. Peacetime training programmes were also cut and by 1942 infantry soldiers were receiving as
little as three months training before being sent to operational areas. (In many instances some
training was given in operational areas — China being used as a theatre where troops could gain
combat experience). The training periods of technical troops, such as signals and engineer
personnel, were also reduced.
NCOs and officers were mostly recruited from young men who had attended higher educational
establishments. Most of the regular officers were graduates of the Military Academy while
NCOs were trained at one or other of the NCO schools in Japan and Manchuria.
Training at all levels was generally intense and thorough, and before he was sent to an
operational area a Japanese soldier was instructed not only how to use his weapons but the
reasons why he should fight and why he should not be beaten. He must live according to the
Japanese soldiers 'code' — a directive covering three pages of very involved logic in very fine
print which consisted, in brief, of five points:
1 The soldier should consider loyalty his essential duty. 'Remember that the protection of the
state and the maintenance of its power depend upon the strength of its arms . . . Bear in mind that
duty is weightier than a mountain, while death is lighter than a feather.'
2 The soldier should be strict in observing propriety. 'Inferiors should regard the orders of their
superiors as issuing directly from Us' (the emperor).
3 The soldier should esteem valour. 'Never to despise an inferior enemy, or to fear a superior, but
to do one's duty as a soldier or sailor — that is true valour.'
4 The soldier should highly value faithfulness and righteousness. ' Faithfulness implies the
keeping of one's word, and righteousness the fulfilment of one's duty.'
5 The soldier should make simplicity his aim. 'If you do not make simplicity your aim, you will
become effeminate or frivolous and acquire fondness for luxurious and extravagant ways.'
Finally, in the event of being prisoner, a Japanese soldier knew that he would be dishonoured
and his family would have no pension. If on the other hand he died fighting he was assured of
reward — his family would be honoured and receive a pension, and if possible his ashes would
be sent back to Japan and buried at the national shrine of Yasekuni.
As a result of this system and training the Japanese soldier was highly disciplined, brave and
ready to fight to the bitter end rather than surrender. And this attitude persisted even when he
became conscious of Allied superiority in weapons and equipment.
Typical Footwear:
1 Other rank's brown marching boot.

2 The 'Tabi'.
3 Officer's high boot.
4 Officer's black marching boot.
5 Officer's riding boot.
6 Fur lined high felt boot.
7 Leather gaiter used by officers.
8 Fatigue footwear.
9 Fur lined boot.
10 Puttee or leg wrapping. / Bryan Fasten
On active service a Japanese private soldier was paid 10 yen (about £1 or $2) a month. Eight yen
went home to his family, 1 6/10 yen was deducted for compulsory savings, and the rest was his
to squander or keep.
Personal equipment was simple but practical. With a full complement of ammunition and rations
the Japanese infantryman carried a load of about five kilograms. His helmet, which weighed
another kilogram, had a high crown for protection against shrapnel and was an inconspicuous tan
in colour — as was the star insignia on the helmet. In North China the helmet was often worn
bonnet-fashion with straps tied under the chin and with a padded cloth as an inner liner to keep
out the biting cold. A coarse net to hold leaves and twigs as camouflage was commonly worn
over the helmet in the field.
For all ranks the army uniform was khaki in colour. (Marines and sailors dressed in the
conventional blue and white). In North China and Manchuria great-coats of Australian wool
were issued for wear in cold weather, together with a fur lining to go inside the soft cap which
was the normal headgear. Footwear consisted of black or brown hobnailed boots, or — in hot
climates — 'tobi' (canvas shoes with heavy rubber soles in which the big toe was separated from
the remainder of the foot) were worn. Khaki woollen puttees were invariably worn by other
ranks, and sometimes by junior officers. Belts and ammunition pouches were of heavy well-
tanned leather.
1 Ground sheet, open and as worn as cape.
2 Mosquito cover.
3 Sniper's camouflage jacket. / Bryan Fasten
Chapter 2 Organisation of the Japanese Army

Before turning to Japanese armament a brief review of the organisation of Japanese units is
desirable.
First, it must be understood that the Japanese Army of World War II was not a rigid organisation.
Until 1936 its basic formation was a ponderous square-type (four-brigade/regiment) infantry
division, some 25,000 strong. These divisions proved to be inflexible, and weak in transport,
artillery and automatic weapons. After 1936, however, the enterprises on which the masters of
Japan embarked involved the army in a wide range of military tasks in the most diverse
conditions — mopping up guerillas in the interior of China, guarding extended lines of
communications, garrisoning the empty spaces of the Manchurian and Mongolian borders,
seizing and endeavouring to hold the long coast lines and countless islands of the East Indies and
the South Seas. So, to meet these and other demands the Japanese War Office was compelled to
adopt more flexible organisations and to create special forces to discharge the Army's tasks in
order to make the most economical use of the men and material available.
The infantry division remained the basic Army formation, but the old four brigade formation was
replaced by a triangular division. This formation, which by 1939 had become standard formation
and was known as the B type (Otsu) division, consisted of three infantry regiments, a field (or
mountain) artillery regiment, an engineer regiment, a reconnaissance unit, a transport regiment,
and the usual service troops.
[The organisation of the standard (B type), strengthened (A type) and 'Garrison' (C type)
Japanese division is illustrated in Appendix 1.]
Standard infantry divisions with additional artillery under command and bigger infantry
battalions with extra weapons which existed in Manchuria and North China were probably relics
of the original square type formations. Known as A type (Ko) divisions, they were not intended
for jungle warfare and some of them had a tank battalion as well as the reconnaissance unit.
The third type of division was the 'Garrison' or C type (Hei) — a weaker formation organised
into two brigades each of four infantry battalions with fewer weapons than the battalions of a
standard division. As their name implies, such divisions were employed mainly on garrison
duties and their brigade organisation was designed to allow them to be split up and used
independently in anti-guerilla operations.
In addition to the three different types of division the Japanese picture is complicated by the
existence of many independent brigades organised and equipped for special roles or for
employment in particular theatres. Independent mixed brigades were employed in China for
example — mainly on garrison or anti-guerilla duties. Such brigades were predominantly a rifle
force composed usually of between three and six infantry battalions 750 to 900 strong, together
with relatively small artillery, engineer, and signals units. Battalions had three or four rifle
companies and their strength varied accordingly. Other independent mixed brigades and
regiments operated in South-East Asia, the Netherlands East Indies and in the Central Pacific.
Because the brigade organisation suited to China did not contain enough of the heavier infantry
weapons to operate against more powerfully equipped armies than the Chinese the new brigades
were given heavier fire power in the infantry battalions — in particular mortars and anti-tank
guns were introduced. Brigades of this type had from four to eight infantry battalions, an artillery
unit of three companies, an engineer unit and a signals unit and brigade headquarters varied in
strength according to the number of attached specialists. In addition, some brigades had an anti-
aircraft company and some had a tank unit. At full strength these brigades varied from 3,100 to
about 6,000 according to their composition.
The brigade commander was a major-general — usually a man who had been an infantry group
commander in a standard infantry division.
[The organisation of a typical mixed brigade is shown in Appendix 2.]
To defend islands in the Pacific independent mixed regiments were extensively used. Such
regiments consisted of forces of infantry and supporting arms — similar to but smaller than the
independent brigades. Such regiments normally comprised two or three independent infantry
battalions and supporting artillery, engineer and signals units. They could also have a small tank
unit or a company of anti-aircraft artillery, and some regiments did not have an engineer unit.
Apart from the divisional and brigade group formations other infantry organisations also existed
in 1939 or were created during the next five years. For example the 'Fortress' coast artillery —
found in Japan proper, Korea, Formosa, the Bonin Islands, the Ryukyu Islands and Manchuria —
contained an infantry element whose role it was to defend the fixed coastal artillery installations.
Every fortress command was organised according to its own particular circumstances. The
nucleus in each case was a coast defence heavy artillery unit, supplemented sometimes by a field
or mountain artillery unit and anything from one to four fortress infantry units.
Cavalry
Cavalry regiments took the place of the reconnaissance or tank units in some of the infantry
divisions. Additionally the Japanese maintained a few independent cavalry brigades. They
consisted of two regiments — of four rifle and sabre companies and one machine gun company
— and supporting arms, (Of the latter the most important was the horse artillery regiment of two
companies each with four medium mortars or 75mm field guns). The rifle and sabre companies,
each with a nominal strength of 140 all ranks, had three rifle platoons and a machine gun
platoon; and the machine gun company included an anti-tank platoon with two 37mm guns.
Headgear.
1 Officer's cap.
2 Other rank's cap.
3/4 Standard issue helmet.
5 Helmet with cover.
6 Officer's field cap.
7 Other rank's field cap
8 Field cap with neck cover.
9/10 Paratroop's helmet.
11 Tropical helmet.
left: Winter wear for tank crews.

centre: Summer wear for tank crews.
right: Artillery sergeant-major.
From left to right: 1930 Officer's tunic; 1930 Other rank's tunic; 1938 Officer's tunic; 1938 Other
rank's tunic. /Bryan Posten
Armour
During the Sino-Japanese war Japanese tankettes and light tanks were used against the Chinese,
and medium tanks were employed in Malaya in 1942. But there was no call for panzer-type
formations until a defeat by Russian armour at Nomonhan caused the Japanese General Staff to
revise their ideas of deploying tanks only in penny packets. Armoured divisions did not come
into being immediately but some tank regiments (Sensha Rental) were brigaded into groups.
These tank groups (Sensha Dan) consisted simply of three or four tank regiments, together with
supply and maintenance services; there was no infantry or other supporting arms which would
have enabled them to operate in an independent role. With infantry the tanks groups became the
tank brigades (Sensha Ryodan) one of which became the nucleus of an armoured division
(Sensha Shidan) formed in 1943 for service in Manchuria.
The composition of the tank regiment varied, but the average strength was 850 officers and men,
with 80 tanks — of which two or three were first line replacement vehicles.
[See Appendix 3 for the organisation of a tank regiment.]
Independent tank companies consisting of 12 tanks under command of a captain operated in the
South-West Pacific, but these were companies detached from regular tank regiments. However, a
number of independent tankette companies, equipped with 17 tankettes and 16 armoured trailers
were raised — primarily for use as supply vehicles in forward areas in the Pacific theatre.
Artillery
Artillery was not classified by the Japanese in exactly the same way as in the British and
American armies. The lighter guns were 'field' and 'mountain', and everything heavier than a
105mm (4.14in) howitzer was 'heavy'. In effect what the Japanese called 'heavy artillery' could
really be divided broadly into three categories, 'field heavy' and 'heavy' which had some degree
of mobility, and 'fortress' which was fixed coast-defence artillery. Japanese terms and the
equivalents were as follows:
Yahohei Field artillery

Sampohei Mountain artillery
Yasen Juhohei Medium artillery (literally Tield heavy artillery')
Yuhoei Heavy artillery
Yosai Juhohei Fortress artillery
Regiment (Rental) Regiment
Battalion (Daitai) Battery
Company (Chutai) Troop
Platoon (Shotai) Section
Section (Bantai) Sub-section
Field Artillery
Standard Japanese divisions contained a field artillery regiment of a headquarters and three
artillery battalions. Each battalion had three companies of a headquarters and two gun platoons
with the latter subdivided into two sections of one 75mm gun apiece. The complete regiment
could thus deploy 36 guns, and its total strength was about 2,300 men. Type A divisions included
an artillery group headquarters under a colonel or major-general, who functioned as a British
CRA and commanded the field, mountain and anti-aircraft batteries attached to the division as
well as the regular artillery regiment. The organisation of the latter was different in so far as it
had four battalions each of three companies — with three of the battalions being equipped with
eight 105mm howitzers and four 75mm guns while the remaining battalion had 12 105mm
howitzers. On paper 'garrison' divisions had no artillery units but some of them were allotted
artillery regiments on a reduced establishment consisting of three battalions each of eight 75mm
guns and with an approximate strength of 1,500 men.
Independent artillery battalions, like battalions of divisional field artillery, consisted of three
companies each of four guns, with company and battalion transport — twelve 75mm guns in all.
The strength of a battalion of divisional field artillery, horse-drawn, was about 680 officers and
men and an independent battalion of horse-drawn artillery needed more men to operate
independently. (In practice this gave it an establishment of about 750).
Mountain Artillery
Mountain artillery carried on pack horses or mules — with each gun constituting six to eight
animal loads — was the normal Japanese artillery in South-East Asia and the South-West
Pacific. Mountain artillery regiments were organised similarly to the field artillery regiments
which they often replaced. Each regiment had three battalions, each of three companies with four
75mm mountain guns apiece. However some field artillery regiments which were converted into
mountain artillery regiments for service in jungle country were in fact given only 27 (instead of
36) mountain guns, and independent mountain artillery regiments operated with only two
battalions and consequently had only 24 guns.
Medium Artillery
Apart from the 'Field Heavy artillery' battalion equipped with 150mm howitzers found in the
Type A divisional artillery, the bulk of the Japanese medium artillery was organised into
independent units and allotted to armies on an as required basis. The principal Japanese medium
artillery weapons were the tractor-drawn 105mm gun and the 150mm howitzer in two types —
the old horse-drawn 1915 model and the Type 96 (1936) tractor-drawn model. There was also a
longer-range weapon, the Type 18 (1929) 150mm gun, tractor-drawn.
From left to right: Raincoat with hood; Winter coat with detachable sleeves; 1938 greatcoat with de
Tropical Dress: (from left to right) Basic; Basic with Tropical tunic; Tropical fatigue; Officer's tuni
According to which of these weapons were carried the organisation varied. A medium gun
howitzer regiment, for example, equipped with 150mm howitzers with either motor or animal
transport, had two battalions each of three companies, and companies consisted of two platoons
of two gun sections with one 150mm howitzer apiece, ie a total of 24 150mm howitzers. On the
other hand, while a medium gun regiment also contained two battalions, these had only two
companies each (of two platoons). Thus the total number of 105mm guns in such a regiment was
only 16.
Heavy Artillery and Miscellaneous Field Artillery units There was no fixed establishment for
'heavy artillery' proper in the Japanese army but 24cm (9.4in) howitzers and larger calibre
weapons existed although they were rarely used in the field.
By Western standards Japanese counter-battery organisations were neither strong nor effective.
And few artillery intelligence regiments actually existed. Nevertheless there were occasions, as
at Hong Kong for example, where Japanese produced effective counter-battery fire. Observation
balloons were employed by the Japanese artillery in the assault on Singapore but this was the
only occasion that a Japanese observation balloon unit is known to have been deployed.
Anti-Aircraft Artillery
The bulk of Japanese anti-aircraft artillery was made up of independent units assigned as
required. Anti-aircraft protection was not their only task, since the Japanese relied on their anti-
aircraft gunners for anti-tank firepower also.
A Japanese AA regiment employed in a static role consisted of two AA gun battalions and a
searchlight battalion, with a total of 48 75mm AA guns and 24 searchlights. While the static
battalion had 24 guns, a mobile battalion had only 12 75mm guns supplemented by six AA
machine guns.
A field 'machine cannon' company also existed. Armed with six 20mm dual purpose AA and
anti-tank machine guns these companies could be transported either in motor vehicles or by pack
animals. Searchlight battalions had two companies, each of two platoons of three sections with a
searchlight and sound locator in each section.
Anti-tank Artillery
Unlike its anti-aircraft artillery the majority of anti-tank units in the Japanese Army were
integrated in the infantry divisions. A few independent anti-tank battalions did exist however.
These were normally 12-gun units, equipped either with 37mm weapons or the more modern
47mm anti-tank guns. Such battalions were either motorised (ie with tractor-drawn guns), horse-
drawn or pack. Organised into a battalion headquarters, three anti-tank companies — each of two
platoons of two sections of one gun apiece — and a battalion ammunition train the nominal
strength was 458 all ranks. Unlike the companies in an anti-tank battalion an independent anti-
tank company was an eight gun unit of four platoons. Like the battalion it could have either
motor, horse or pack transport, and its strength varied accordingly.
Telecommunication equipment. (picture removed due to crappyness)
Mortar Units
Until late 1943 Japanese mortar units were almost all army troops, but after 1943 such units were
parcelled out to lower formations. By 1945 the 'artillery' of some of the mixed brigades was a
mortar unit. Amphibious brigades were also equipped with mortars and in some infantry
battalions mortars replaced the standard 70mm close-support howitzer in the battalion gun
platoon. But independent mortar units continued to exist until the end of the war. Those officered
and manned by gunners were known as Kyuho units, while those which were infantry units were
termed Hakugeki.
[To confuse matters, some artillery mortar units were also called Hakugeki if they were armed
with medium (15cm) or lighter mortars.]
The standard mortar battalion (Hakugeki Daitai) was equipped with 36 81mm mortars. It had a
headquarters which contained observers, signalmen and transport; a battalion ammunition train;
and three mortar companies with 12 mortars each, and it could have horse transport or be
motorised. Medium mortar battalions (Chu Hakugeki Daitai) which had a similar organisation
but carried only 12 medium 15cm artillery mortars, were mainly horse-drawn units.
Finally there were the independent artillery mortar battalions (Dokuritsu Kyuho Daitai),
equipped with Type 98 250mm spigot mortars which were used to considerable effect in Burma.
These mortars, eight of which formed the armament of the battalion, were ponderous short-range
weapons but they could hurl a 700 lb bomb. (Because of the short life of the weapon each
battalion was issued with eight spare mortars as first-line replacements).
Engineers
The Japanese engineer arm in World War II consisted of divisional engineers and a variety of
independent units which are discussed in Chapter 6. Japanese divisional commanders generally
appear to have treated their own engineers more as an expendable commodity than British,
American or German divisional commanders; in addition to their strictly engineer duties —
fieldwork, demolitions, mine-clearing, river crossing and so on — they were often called upon to
provide assault detachments for tasks which would clearly be costly and even suicidal.
Organisation of the divisional engineer regiment was four companies — three field companies
and a stores company — with a total establishment of 900-1,000 men. This organisation was
designed to allow sub-allotment of a field company to each of the three infantry regiments in the
standard division. (In 'garrison' divisions there was usually only a small engineer unit consisting
of an HQ and three platoons). Each field company carried shovels, pick-axes, felling axes, wire-
cutters, hand axes, bill hooks, saws etc besides a small amount of tradesmen's tools and technical
instruments. Bridging equipment in the division was generally limited to assault boats, rubber
boats, and sometimes assault bridges and pontoons. Engineers were equipped with short rifles
(Meiji 38s), LMGs, and occasionally with flame throwers.
Japanese radio and signal equipment. (Pic removed due to crappyness)
Signals
One feature of Japanese signals' organisations was the emphasis on simplicity and flexibility.
Each division had a divisional signals unit consisting of four platoons (two line platoons, one
wireless and one stores platoon) with a total establishment of 250 officers and men. Standard
equipment comprised 30 miles of wire, 32 telephones and 8-10 radio sets. Communication above
division was controlled by signals regiments organised according to need, and made up of a
number of small independent signals units. Army headquarters had their own signals section and
possibly a carrier pigeon section, together with a signals unit to coordinate the signals networks
of anti-aircraft organisations, specialist radio units to operate fixed radio stations and possibly
special radio units to operate direct on finding equipment.
Miscellaneous Specialist Troops
Japanese special forces are discussed in Chapters 6 and 7, But various specialist troops which
were formed in the divisional organisations deserve a brief mention. Water purification units
were counted as part of the medical division of the infantry division. With a strength of about 50
men, all of whom were medical orderlies, such units were responsible for the water supply of the
division.
Veterinary units of four officers and 46 men were attached to units with horse and pack
transport. Such units contained treatment, supply and farrier sections to deal with casualties to
animals in the division.
Finally some divisions included chemical warfare units. Selected men were trained as 'gas
personnel' in all infantry divisions, and some of them were formed into smoke companies with
apparatus capable of being employed in chemical warfare. The chemical warfare units, on the
other hand, were solely designed for decontamination and gas control duties. With a total
establishment of 150-250 men, they were organised into three field platoons of three sections and
a supply column of three sections.
In fact, the Japanese did not attempt to use gas as a weapon although there were reports that it
was used in China on several occasions. (In October 1937 the use of gas by the Japanese Army
— probably mustard — was the subject of a protest of the League of Nations, and in September
1938 the Chinese claimed two of their regiments were wiped out by gas in an engagement in the
Yangtze valley near Juichang). Japanese infantry in pre-World War II manoeuvres carried gas
masks in heavy wooden boxes, but during the war these were discarded. (The little filters worn
by fastidious Japanese to keep the dust and airborne germs out of their nostrils, were sometimes
worn by Japanese soldiers and civilians in China, and these were undoubtedly frequently
mistaken for gas masks).
Chapter 3 Japanese Infantry Weapons
European arms were first introduced into Japan about 1540AD by Dutch traders. But the
Japanese showed little initiative in developing fireams, and it was not until the Shogun rule was
overthrown that anything was done to establish an indigenous arms industry. In the latter half of
the nineteenth century however, more guns were imported and private armament firms sprang
up. With the restoration of the Meiji dynasty these firms were bought up in order that all
weapons should become standardised. Realising that Japan was well behind Europe in weapon
design, the Japanese government of the day initially confined production to copies of the best
weapons they could buy from abroad. As time passed these copies were modified and improved
and by 1940 Japanese weapons designers had both the experience and the power of original
development. Nevertheless many Japanese weapons — artillery and small arms — as well as
army organisation and tactical doctrines reflect the influence of German military instructors and
advisers imported before World War I.
Designation and Markings
Before discussing the actual weapons of the Japanese infantry it is desirable first to describe the
methods used by the Japanese in naming their stores; since only by an understanding of this
nomenclature can their weapons be properly identified.
Until defeat at the end of the war brought a change in the system, Japanese Government stores
were dated by an artificial time period known as a Nengo, which usually commemorated a
national or political event. Prior to the accession in 1868 of the Emperor Meiji, for instance,
years were reckoned in the Jimmu nengo. This dated from the mythological dawn of Japanese
history in 660BC, and thus 1945 was the year 2605. Beginning with the first year of Meiji's
reign, an alternative method of dating the years was adopted, and nengos then corresponded to
the reigns of different emperors as follows:
Meiji: from 1868 to 1912

Taisho: from 1912 to 1926
Showa: from 1926 to 1945
Consequently 1945, in addition to being referred to as the year 2605, was also known as Showa
20. When using the Jimmu nengo it was usual to write only the last two figures of the year, and
not to include the word Jimmu. Thus 1938 was customarily written as year 98. When using the
other nengo, however, it is obvious that their names were necessary.
In some cases a specific piece of equipment would be linked with another name (eg Arisaka 90).
This was done as a form of recognition to somebody who was closely related to the development
of the equipment concerned, and in this case refers to Lieutenant-General Arisaka. (The 90
indicates the year 1930).
Months and days were indicated by the appropriate number of the month or day — there being
12 months in a Japanese year and seven days in a week as in most countries. (Sometimes the
Western system of dates is used such as 2.10.1944 for 2 October 1944).
A list of the characters encountered in the nomenclature of Japanese wartime stores is

reproduced at Appendix 4.
Small Arms Ammunition
Rifles, carbines and most Japanese light machine guns, encountered during World War II
operations were of 6.5mm (.256in) calibre, and fired the same semi-rimmed cartridge. The latter
had an abrupt shoulder and measured 2.98 inches overall. The bullet was of lead-antimony, with
a cupro-nickel jacket, and was seated almost a quarter of its even IVdn length into the cartridge
case. Despite copper and tin shortages there was never any general shortage of small arms
ammunition possibly because the waning copper supply was given a boost in 1940 when eight
million one-sen pieces were taken out of circulation and replaced by aluminium coins. The
6.5mm ammunition was packed in wooden boxes, in Mauser type clips in separate cardboard
folds, or with three clips packed together. (The latter was for convenience in loading the
conventional 30 and 60 round Japanese cartridge pouches). Other 7.7mm ammunition for the
7.7mm medium and heavy machine guns was usually packed-in cloth protected 30-round strips.
First line ammunition for immediate use was carried in bandoliers and in the leather (or rubber
substitute) regulation Japanese cartridge pouches worn by all Japanese infantrymen — three
pouches per individual. Two of these pouches were of 30-round capacity, and worn in front of
the belt on either side of the buckle. The third, which could contain 60 rounds, was worn at the
back of the belt. This arrangement enabled the individual infantryman to carry up to 120 rounds
in action. When the pouches were filled to capacity however, they were bulky, and invariably
caused difficulty when crawling, creeping or moving through cover.
Nomenclature of Ammunition associated with individual Japanese

weapons
Weapon Ammunition
6.35mm Type 2 (1942) 'Baby' Nambu Pistol Ball: Type 2 Pistol
8mm Type 14 (1925) Pistol
8mm Type Nambu Pistol 8mm Hachi Ball
8mm Type 94 Pistol
8mm Type 100 Sub-Machine Gun
9mm Type 26 (1893) Revolver 9mm Hachi Ball
6.5mm Type 38 (1905) Long, Medium and Short Standard: Ogival Ball
Rifles
6.5mm Type 3 (1914) Medium Machine Gun Spitzer Ball (Armour-
Piercing Ball)
6.5mm Type 44 (1911) Carbine (Cavalry Model)
6.5mm Type 96 (1936) Light Machine Gun Explosive

6.5mm Type 97 (1937) Sniper's Rifle
6.5mm Type 11 (1922) Light Machine Gun Wooden Ball (Used for
(Nambu) launching grenades from
6.5mm Type 91 (1931) Tank Machine Gun Type 38 Rifle and
(Nambu) Carbine)
6.5mm Type 38 (1905) Carbine (Infantry Model)
7.7mm Type 92 (1932) Medium Machine Gun Standard Ball Armour-

Piercing (AP)
7.7mm Type 97 (1937) Tank Machine Gun Tracer (T)
7.7mm Type 99 (1939) Light Machine Gun Explosive
7,7mm Type 99 (1939) Rifle AP/T
7.7mm Type 02 (1942) Paratrooper's Rifle Incendiary /Tracer
7.7mm Type 01 (1942) Medium Machine Gun
7,7mm Type 99 (1939) Paratrooper's Rifle

20mm Type 97 (1937) Anti-Tank Rifle Armour-Piercing and
Explosive
In addition to the ammunition for native weapons, Japanese 7,92mm SAA was
manufactured for the captured 7.92mm BRNO, 2B (1925) machine guns of
Czech and Chinese origin with which some Japanese units were equipped. Such
ammunition — Ball, Armour-Piercing and Armour- Piercing/Tracer — was a
close copy of the German types.
The packaging and storage of Japanese ammunition was generally poor. Even in the damp and
humid climate of the Pacific Islands and South-East Asia ammunition boxes were not
hermetically sealed, and waxed cardboard or waterproof paper wrappings were rarely used.
Packing cases were usually well constructed, but ill-fitting lids permitted depredation by
moisture and white ants, and the result was that ammunition stored for any appreciable time
became corroded. As many of the rounds were imperfectly turned anyway, the incidence of
misfires and other malfunctions was considerably higher than with equivalent American, British
or German weapons.
Most Japanese small arms ammunition was unmarked; rounds were recognised by the containers
or by their size and shape. On the cartridge heads usually the only markings were primer-crimp
stampings in the form of punch marks. And, as the use of a punch tends to mutilate the cartridge
head, the headspace chambering and loading of Japanese ammunition inevitably suffered. In
appearance the punch marks were short line indentations, usually three in number, radiating out
from the primer pocket, with their inner points leaning in to lock the primer in its seat. By
Western engineering standards this was a crude arrangement. Lacquered markings which
sometimes appeared on the cartridges, were used to distinguish ball, tracer, and armour piercing
ammunition. The colour code of such markings was as follows:
Standard Ball: Red

Tracer: Green
Armour Piercing: Black
Rifles
Most of the rifles used by the Japanese were almost entirely made up of the types commonly
referred to as the 'Arisaka' rifles. These were the various models normally issued to the Japanese
infantry. However, a great variety of rifles was reported as being in use in almost every theatre,
and this can be attributed to Japanese reluctance to discard captured material regardless of its
uselessness or that no ammunition was available. Also because they captured large quantities of
foreign weapons in the early stages of the war, the Japanese manufactured ammunition in their
own factories. On Guadalcanal, for example, large quantities of British, Dutch and American
rifles were recaptured. But such weapons were not the normal Japanese issue.
The old-fashioned Meiji 38 was the standard infantry weapon of the Japanese Army throughout
World War II. Evolved from the 6.5mm Meiji 30, it was substantially the same weapon as that
used throughout the Russo-Japanese War, Basically the Meiji 38 was a copy of the old well-
proven German bolt-action Mauser of 1898. Because of its length, 50 1/4 in, and its weight the
Meiji 38 was an unwieldy and awkward weapon — especially in jungle terrain. Other
shortcomings included the clumsy bolt-head safety, equally clumsy straight bolt-handle, lack of a
magazine cut-off, and a back sight without windage or drift compensation. It was reasonably
accurate up to 600 yards and had only a slight recoil. A unique feature was the sliding dust cover
over the bolt; this protected the working parts from mud and dirt but tended to make the rifle
even more awkward to handle. The tangent back sight was of a conventional design and
calibrated from 400m to 2,400m in 100m stages. The sights themselves were ordinary barleycorn
and open V. To economise in wood the Japanese made the butts in two pieces, from a blank only
half as deep as is necessary for a one-piece butt. The rifle sling was used only to carry the rifle,
and in a prone position Japanese soldiers were taught to fire by grasping the rifle with their left
hand just in front of the trigger guard and aim with the sling hanging loose and so without using
it to steady the weapon. Rapid fire, as practised in the British Army with the bolt action Lee
Enfield rifle, was virtually impossible with the Meiji 38 because the slack sling and the action,
cocking on the closing of the bolt, made it difficult for the physically small Japanese soldier to
hold the Meiji in to his shoulder while operating the bolt.
(PIC REMOVED DUE TO CRAPPYNESS)
left: The 7.7mm Type 99 rifle. Similar to earlier Japanese rifles but in .303in calibre. Note the foldi
centre: The ever popular Arisaka 6.5mm Meiji 38.
right: The Meiji 38 'Short'; the shortened version of the Arisaka.
Specification of the Meiji 38

Calibre 6.5mm (,256in)
Length 50.25in. With bayonet 65.5in
Weight 9 lb (without bayonet)
Barrel length 31.4 in
Action Modified Mauser type
Bolt One piece rotating — two front locking lugs
Bolt retainer Mauser type
Extractor Non-rotating long spring claw (no supporting rib on bolt)
Ejector Rocker type — left side
Feed Mauser type — five rounds
Holding open device Rising platform of magazine
Rifling Four grooves RH Concentric
Sights, front Barleycorn
back Tangent. Graduated 400-2,400m with battle sight for use
below 400m
Sighting radius 27.25in
Sling Underneath
Stock One piece (Two-piece butt)
Stocking up Mauser practice
Handguards Rear only
Safety, mechanical British No 3 Rifle type
applied Special
Trigger action Two pulls/British No 3 Rifle type
Special features Applied safety Dust cover Bolt stop lug on bolt Butt
made from two pieces of wood
Muzzle velocity 2,400 feet/sec (2,690 feet/sec)

Weight of round 324gr
Weight of bullet 137.7gr
Weight of propellant 34gr
Although it was a Mauser type rifle, the Meiji 38 — like its Japanese predecessors, possessed
certain features which were not normally found on the conventional Mauser. For example on the
Meiji there was no rear locking lug on the bolt, and an extra lug was machined behind the top
locking lug; this acted as a bolt stop as well as an actuator for the rocker type ejector. Nor was
there a support on the bolt for the extractor, and the extractor itself was larger than on the
German Gewehr 98.
Left: M1905 or Type 38 sniper's rifle in 6.5mm calibre with telescopic sight and monopod attached
The two recesses cut in the bolt to accommodate the safety stud of the sear were similar to the
arrangement of the British No 3 Rifle type trigger mechanism. Similarly the two cam grooves
were also reminiscent of the British No 1 Rifle, and — as the cocking piece went right back into
the slot in the bolt plug when the rifle was cocked — it was readily apparent that the action was
cocked on closing the bolt and not by simply raising the bolt lever. Finally the bolt plug, which
incorporated the applied safety mechanism, was totally different.
Another important difference relates to the applied safety mechanism which in the Meiji could
only be applied in the cocked position. A bolt plug was keyed to the bolt and also to the striker.
On pushing the bolt plug in and rotating it clockwise about 40°, the striker was also rotated and
its bent (cocking piece) was turned away from the sear to a position behind a step in the body. At
the same time a shoulder on the bolt plug rotated to lie alongside a lug on the bolt so that the bolt
could be rotated without rotating the plug. The plug was prevented from turning by a tang on its
underside being rotated into a bayonet slot in the body. To counter-rotate the bolt plug, it had
first to be pushed in again, in order to disengage the tang from this bayonet slot. The striker
spring acted as a spring for the plug.
The 6.5mm Meiji 38 was the Imperial Japanese Army's basic rifle, and all the other Japanese
rifles described in the following pages were evolved from it or were fore-runners of it. It was the
most extensively used Japanese weapon of World War II, and although it was superseded by
later models of a different calibre, it remained popular with the troops. After the war Japanese
soldiers expressed a muted preference for the old reliable Arisaka 6.5 over any of the later
Japanese rifles and all foreign weapons, with the exception of the American Garand, In spite of
its shortcomings the Meiji 38 proved to be a good reliable combat rifle and it was responsible for
the deaths of many thousands of Allied soldiers who were armed with the best weapons in the
world.
After the 'Long' 38 the Meiji 38 'Short' rifle was probably the most common of the Arisaka
models. Except that the overall length was reduced by approximately six inches this weapon was
identical with the 'Long'. Cutting down the barrel resulted in reduction in weight of one pound,
but the advantage of a long barrel — in reducing muzzle blast and flash — was lost. Most Meiji
38 'Shorts' were issued to units other than infantry; the specification for the Meiji 38 'Short'
follows:
Calibre 6.5mm
Length 44.5in
Weight 8.51b
Barrel length 25.5in
Sights as 'Long' rifle
Like the Meiji 'Short' the Meiji 38 carbine was also identical with the Meiji 38 'Long' rifle,
except that its overall length was reduced by approximately 12in, so cutting the weight to 7 3/4
1b. Other differences are that the sling of this weapon was fitted to the left side and the muzzle
velocity is less. Its specification follows:
Calibre 6.5mm
Length 38in
Weight 7.751b
Barrel length 19in
Sights As 'Long' rifle, but graduated to 2,000m only
The Meiji 44 Carbine was originally designed for use by cavalry. But its short length and the fact
that it had a permanently attached folding bayonet meant that it was not necessary for a soldier to
have a long bayonet scabbard attached to his belt, made it popular among Japanese infantry
engaged in jungle operations. From its butt to the lower band, the Meiji 44 was almost exactly
the same as the Meiji 38 carbine. Between these two points the only differences amounted to a
trap in the butt to carry a cleaning rod; and a groove in the stock below the upper band to house
the last few inches of the bayonet when it was folded back. To accommodate the bayonet the
muzzle was modified, the fore sight being moved back three inches to allow a steel cap to be
fitted to the muzzle. This cap carried the hinge and locking arrangement for the triangular shaped
poniard type bayonet. The bayonet had a blade length of 14in, and its latch mechanism was a
masterpiece of ruggedness and dependability. However the overall weight of bayonet and muzzle
cap tended to throw the carbine completely out of balance — making it muzzle heavy and
difficult to aim. Another major disadvantage accrued from the fact that the bayonet could not be
detached to serve as a knife. The Meiji 44 Carbine's specification follows:
Calibre 6.5mm
Length 38.25in
Weight 8.751b
Sights As Meiji 38 Carbine (up to 2,000m)
Muzzle velocity 2,460 feet/sec
The Meiji 38 6.5mm Sniper Rifle was simply a Meiji 38 'Long' rifle fitted with a telescopic sight
and a folding monopod. The only modification was that the bolt lever was bent down in order to
prevent it fouling the sight. The telescopic sight was short, having an overall length of some 6
7/8in excluding the rubber eyepiece; with the rubber eyepiece it measured 1 1/4 in more.
The sight was mounted well back on the rifle, in order to cater for the generally short necks of
Japanese soldiers, and because the glass had a very short eye relief (less than 1 3/4 in), it was
mounted off-centre — to the left —to permit easier loading and movement of the bolt without
the need for major modification of either the bolt or the receiver.
The telescopic sight itself was rugged and practical, but it had few exceptional features to
commend it. The reticule was a simple three lines, graduated vertically in range settings and
graduated horizontally for windage or lead. The rifle was calibrated on 300 metres; all other
ranges had to be held over or under. One good feature worthy of mention is that the telescope
was efficiently waterproofed — its lens being firmly sealed and heavily protected from both
moisture and shock by the rigid close-fitting tube assembly. The result was that it was capable of
withstanding trying conditions of humidity and changing temperature encountered in jungle
terrain. The Meiji 38 Sniper Rifle's specification follows:
Calibre 6.5mm
Length 50.25in
Weight 10.5 lb with sight
Sight 2.5 magnification, 10° field of view
Finally, before leaving the Meiji 38 family of rifles, a brief review of its forerunners and their
history may be worth while as some of the early models were issued to garrison troops and
militia units raised in metropolitan Japan towards the end of the war. Developed from the French
Chassepot in the 1880s the original Meiji 13 rifle of llmm calibre — named after its designer
Major Murata — was virtually only a modified Chassepot. This rifle was first modified to bring
it in line with the Gras (métal cartridge case instead of a paper one) and then fitted with a
magazine. In this new guise the Meiji 13 was renamed the Meiji 22, and although a 'new' 8mm
Japanese rifle, the Meiji 20, had been introduced two years previously — the calibre remained
llmm.
The Meiji 30 rifle was designed in 1897. (Credit for the new design has been attributed to both
Major Murata and Colonel Arisaka, the officer who headed a commission of inquiry into
weapons used in the Sino-Japanese war. In the event it was Arisaka's name which stuck to the
series). The new weapon, a modified Mauser, was of an even smaller calibre than the Meiji 20,
being 6.5mm — the smallest service rifle ever known to have been adopted until long after
World War II. A Meiji 30 carbine, identical in all respects to the rifle except for a shorter barrel
length, followed and both weapons were used throughout the Russo-Japanese War. Then, as a
result of experience gained during fighting in Manchuria where it had been found necessary to
have a dust cover for the actions of rifles, the Meiji 38 was evolved.
The main difference between the Type 99 and the Meiji series of rifles was the increased calibre
of 7.7mm. The length of this rifle was approximately the same as the Meiji 38 Short Rifle — as
in fact were all the subsequent rifles introduced, and this lends credence to the view that the extra
length of the Meiji 38 was offset by considerations of weight and unwieldiness in jungle
conditions.
(Pic removed to crappy scan)
Above: Japanese rifles and their Allied counterparts in World War II. Left to right: 1 6 5mm Arisak
automatic carbine; 3 Mosin-Nagant; 4 .303in British SMLE Mk3;5 7.92mm German Gewehr 98/40
99 Arisaka
Other differences were mainly additional. The monopod of the Meiji 38 sniper's rifle (Type 97)
was retained and the back sight had two 'lead-off' arms fitted to it for anti-aircraft use. The back
sight remained in the same position but instead of the V notch, it had an aperture of
approximately V in diameter. The sight was graduated up to 1,500 metres only, but it was long
enough to give a deflection of up to 2,000 metres. The bayonet was the type fitted on the old
Meiji 30. Minor differences included a different type of nose cap, hinged magazine bottom plate,
and sling on left side. In general, the finish was inferior to that of the previous rifles. The Type
99 s specification follows:
Calibre 7.7mm
Length 44in
Weight 8.251b
Barrel length 27.25m (25.25in)
back Tangent. Aperture 300-1,500m and battle sight
Wt of round 417gr
Wt of bullet 189gr
Wt of propellant 41gr
To facilitate production of this rifle in the latter stages of the war certain modifications were
introduced. These included: leaving off the monopod omitting the lead arms, a cylindrical bolt
knob (in place of the earlier oval one) and inferior quality furniture. (It is relevant to note that
Italian technicians were employed in Japanese arsenals from about 1850 As a result, Italian arms
manufacturers made occasional weapons for Japan]. The most predominant of the extraneous
rifles encountered in World War II however, was the 6.5mm Meiji 30, to which reference — as
predecessor to the Meiji 38 — has been made earlier. Its characteristics are listed below:
Calibre 6,5mm
Length 50.2in
Weight 8.5 lb
Feed 5-rd Mauser type magazine
Applied safety Catch on bolt head applicable in cocked position only by
pulling back and rotating 1/4 turn clockwise
Mechanical safety Mauser
Stock One piece (butt with separate spliced toe) No iront handguard
Sights, front Blade

back Tangent
Sighting radius approx 28in
Sling On underside
Wt of bullet 162gr
Wt of propellant 33gr
For use by paratroops, a special break-down model of the Type 99 rifle was developed. In both
this and the Type 2 described below, the rifles were broken at the barrel-body joint — something
of an unusual feature in service rifles. In the Type 99, there were interrupted threads and a spring
loaded plunger as a securing catch; the only other difference was that the bolt lever was
detachable. In general, the standard of workmanship in this rifle was poor. Its weight was 8.751b
and all other details corresponded to the Type 99.
The later model of the parachutist 99 rifle, known as Type 2, was superior in as much as the
design of the takedown lock as sound and very strong. It consisted of a key and socket joint
secured by a transverse locking bolt. The bolt lever was not removable, but the lead-off sight
bars and the monopod were omitted. This rifle weighed 91b but was in other respects as for the
earlier model.
Reference has already been made to the fact that American weapons — captured rifles — were
used by the Japanese.
[Details of these are recorded in German Infantry Weapons of World War II and British and
American Infantry Weapons of World War II by the author, published by Arms and Armour
Press, London, and Arco, New York.]
Other Japanese rifles were occasionally found in the standard 6.5mm calibre, stamped 'Beretta'.
Such rifles had Italian 1891 type receivers and bolts — the receivers being modified for Mauser
type magazines, but otherwise the weapons conformed to standard Japanese design.
Pistols and Revolvers
Officers, NCOs, 'service' troops such as drivers, clerks, orderlies and the like, tank and
cavalrymen as well as members of Japan's para-military forces and gendarmerie were issued with
revolvers or pistols. Such weapons seem to have been prestige symbols, and they were usually
carried in well made leather holsters with belt-loops and shoulder straps. Nambu 8mm pistols of
1925 and 1939 vintage predominated but many second line and para-military units were issued
with old Meiji 26 revolvers. Introduced in 1893 this handgun is similar in external appearance to
early Smith and Wesson revolvers. Originally a cavalry weapon, the Meiji 26 is double action
only and in the original design provision was made for the attachment of a wooden shoulder
stock. Its specification follows:
Calibre 9mm
Weight 2.25 lb. Rather heavy for a revolver of this calibre
Length of barrel 4.69in
Cylinder 6 chambered
Sights, front Detachable blade
back Groove in barrel strap
(Pics removed due to crap Scan)
Above: Signal pistol. Similar in design and function to the British 'Verey' pistol. / IWM
Right: The popular Nambu 8mm self loading pistol. Similar in appearance to the P.08 Luger Parabe
resembles the Mauser. / IWM
The external appearance of the earliest models of the self-loading 8mm Nambu pistol closely
resemble the German P.08 Luger Parabellum, although the locking action is that of the Mauser.
Its specification follows:
Calibre 8mm

Length overall 8.25in
Weight 1 lb 15oz
Sights, front Blade, adjustable laterally
back 'U' notch at rear of body. Some models have an adjustable rear sight for use in
conjunction with detachable butt stock
Ammunition 8mm with necked case, similar in shape to 7.65mm Parabellum cartridge
The Taisho 14 8mm pistol was a modified form of the early Nambu, in which the safety grip was
replaced by a safety lever fitted to left side of body. When it is rotated rearwards, this lever
prevents movement of sear and slide. Some models of this pistol had an enlarged trigger guard to
clear a gloved finger. Its specifications are listed below;
Calibre 8mm
Length overall 9in
Weight 1 lb 14.5 oz
The Type 94 pistol was first produced in 1934 for the Japanese export market, and Japanese
catalogues listed it for sale before the war. It was a well balanced weapon, but of poor design and
inferior workmanship. The magazine held six rounds; the sights were crude — seldom having
more than a very rough relationship to the axis of the bore.
Finally, what was undoubtedly the best designed and best finished of all Japanese hand guns, the
so-called 'Baby Nambu' — a self-loading pistol of 7mm calibre and six round magazine capacity,
which was issued only to officers. Weighing less than one and a half pounds and having a barrel
length of about 3 1/8 in the Baby Nambu could be stripped and reassembled without the use of
tools. This pistol was highly prized as a souvenir by American servicemen who are said to have
paid up to $200 or two bottles of whisky for a Baby Nambu.
(PIcs removed due to crappy scan)
Above: The Type 100 8mm sub-machine gun. This model, made at Tokyo Arsenal, was
similar in shape to the German Schmeisser.
Below: Jap 20mm anti-tank gun.
Sub-Machine Guns
Apart from a few captured weapons, the Japanese used five types of submachine gun during
World War II. Of these, two were very similar to their German and Swiss counterparts — the
9mm Schmeisser (German MP 40) and the Steyr-Solothurn (German MP 28) both of which were
bought by the Japanese in large quantities before the war. The other three types were different
models of the same basic design, which — though of Japanese origin — closely followed the
Steyr-Solothurn pattern.
Characteristics of the 9mm German MP40 (Schmeisser)

Length 31.5in
Weight 9.5 lb
Rate of Fire 500rpm
Type of Fire Auto and semi-auto
Sights, front Barleycorn. Adjustable laterally
back Tangent with 'V notch. Graduated 100-l,000m
Characteristics of the 7. 63mm Swiss Steyr-Solothurn
Length 31.25in
Weight 92.51b
Rate of Fire 700 rpm
Type of Fire Auto and semi-auto
Sights, front Barleycorn. Adjustable laterally
back Graduated 100-500m
The three Japanese weapons were all known as Type 100, and designed to fire the 8mm pistol
cartridge. All worked on the case-projection principle, all were distinguished by a perforated
barrel casing, and all had the cocking handle on the right with usual Japanese egg-shaped knob.
In each model provision was made for the Type 30 Bayonet, to fit on a tube under the barrel
casing.
Individual models were known as the Army, the Naval Parachutists' SMG, and the Simplified
model; despite this nomenclature all three were issued to army units.
The Army model was manufactured at Tokyo Arsenal, had a one piece wooden stock, similar in
shape to that of the German Schmeisser and it was fitted with a 30-round curved box type
magazine. Other specifications were as follows:
Length 36in
Weight 10 lb
Rate of Fire 450rpm
Type of Fire Automatic only
back Radial with aperture graduated from 100-1,500m
The Naval Parachutists model of the Type 100 was made at Nagaya and except that it had a
folding butt it was the same weapon as the Army model. Only the Simplified model was really
different. With this weapon the bipod was omitted and the bayonet fitting was a simple stud on
barrel casing. Much was done to reduce the weight and a simple muzzle brake-cum-compensator
was fitted.
Length 36in
Weight 91b 2oz (including sling and magazine, which weighs 9oz)
Rate of Fire Estimated to be over 800 rpm
back Fixed, with 'V' notch and aperture
Anti-Tank Rifles
Japanese anti-tank tactics and anti-vehicle measures were concerned more with the employment
of explosive charges, mines and grenades rather than anti-tank guns and rifles. But the 20mm
anti-tank rifle, rare though it was, deserves mention as an interesting weapon. Known as the
Type 97 Anti-Tank Rifle this weapon was air-cooled, gas-operated and magazine fed; it was
mounted on a bipod and controlled from the shoulder with the assistance of a monopod fitted to
the butt. The shoulder piece was padded and a muzzle brake was fitted. As an anti-tank weapon
it was obsolete by 1941. Its characteristics were as follows:
Length 89.5in
Weight 150 lb
Feed Detachable box magazine holding 7 rounds
Machine Guns
Light Machine Guns
In combat the Japanese infantry platoon was normally divided into six groups (each of eight men
at full establishment) and three of these groups would be armed with light machine guns. The
standard LMG throughout the war was the Type 96 6.5mm Nambu, and this weapon probably
caused more Allied casualties in the SW Pacific and Burma than any other Japanese weapon.
Brought out in 1936, the Type 96 — or 'Nambu Light' as it was known to a generation of US
Servicemen — was similar to the British Bren in external appearance. Like its predecessor, the
Taisho II, it was gas-operated and air-cooled, but unlike its predecessor it had a detachable box
magazine feed. Its specifications were as follows:
Length 42in
Weight 18.5 lb
Rate of Fire 550rpm
back Drum controlled aperture (as Bren). Graduated in 100s of metres
from 2 -1,600m. A windgauge was fitted
Feed 30-round box magazine on top of the gun
Some units, particularly in China, were equipped with the older Taisho II forerunner of the
Nambu Light. This was a gas-operated and air-cooled machine gun designed on the French
Hotchkiss principle, having a heavy jacket on the barrel on which were cut radial fins to assist
cooling.
The gun was fitted with a unique cartridge feed, which — while theoretically sound — did not
work well in practice.
(Picture removed due to crap scan)

Top: 6.5mm light machine gun, Taisho 11. Gas operated, air cooled.
Above left: 7.7mm light machine gun M99 very similar to the Type 96 6.5mm model. /IWM
Above: Breech block of the 7.7mm medium machine gun M92. /IWM
Left: Type 92 heavy machine gun.
A hopper on the left side of the gun could be loaded with six clips of five rounds, each held in
position by means of a spring-loaded follower. Rounds were fed from the clip by the feed
mechanism, sideways to a position in front of the breech block, and during this movement each
round was oiled. Its specifications were as follows:
Length 43.5in
Weight 22.5 lb
Rate of Fire 500rpm
back 'V' radial. 300-1,500m
In more common use towards the end of the war was the Type 99 7.7mm LMG — a weapon
similar in design to the Type 96. Its characteristics follow:
Length 42in
Weight 20 lb
Rate of Fire 500rpm
Sights, front Flat post
back Drum type aperture, fitted with windgauge
Graduated 200- 1,500m
The feed, safety and method of operation was exactly the same as for the Type 98 and the
structural differences resulted entirely from the increase in calibre.
Other LMGs included the Type 99 7,7mm Parachutists' Model, which were merely a lightened
version of the Type 99, with a detachable butt and folding pistol grip. The Type 97 7,7mm LMG
was designed in the first place for fighting vehicles, but Japanese infantry in the SW Pacific used
the weapon fitted with a bipod and with the armour jacket removed. Its specification was as
follows:
Length 46in
Weight 26 lb
Rate of Fire 500rpm
Sights, front Blade
back Drum type aperture. Graduated 200-1, 500m
A 20-round box magazine was normally used with this gun although a 30-round magazine was
designed specifically for use with this gun in its ground role.
ZB 26 (Czech) LMGs in 7.92mm calibre of Czech and Chinese manufacture also saw service
with the Japanese Army. Originally manufactured in Czechoslovakia the ZB 26 was sold around
the world in the 1930s and subsequently manufactured in Chinese arsenals. Being the forerunner
of the Bren the ZB 26 possessed most of the features of the British weapon, although there are
certain differences such as a longer piston consequent on the gas vent being nearer the muzzle,
and the barrel finned for cooling purposes.
Length 46in
Weight 19.5 lb
Rate of Fire 600rpm
Type of Fire Single shot and automatic
Sights, front Blade
back Drum type aperture, graduated 200-1, 500m
Feed Detachable box magazine, 20 rounds
The Japanese gun fired 7.92mm rimless ammunition and as this ammunition was not standard for
the Japanese, its provision exacerbated supply problems in the field.
Medium Machine Guns
The regular Japanese medium machine gun was the Taisho 3 a 1914 Hotchkiss type, 6.5mm
calibre, gas operated, air cooled and strip fed. Eight of these weapons or the alternative Type 92
7.7m gun were issued to a machine gun company.
The 7.7mm Type 92 was copied from the Taisho 3 and thus, apart from the larger calibre, there
are only slight differences — such as the traversing handles in the Taisho 3 being fixed in a
vertical position and the back sight graduated from 3-2,200 instead of 2,700 metres as is the case
with the Type 92. In both guns the firing mechanism was at the rear, like the British Vickers or
American .50 Browning. The Taisho 3 MMG's specifications were as follows:
Calibre 6.5mm
Length 47in
Weight 60 lb (67 lb)
Rate of Fire 400-500rpm
Mounting 67 lb weight, 33.5° traverse, from -15° to + 9° elevation
Specifications of the Type 92 MMG
Calibre 7.7mm
Length 46in
Weight 63 lb
Rate of Fire 450rpm
back Tangent aperture. For indirect fire a dial sight was used, and in the
AA role a ring foresight and 'U' back sight were fitted
Mounting Tripod, weighing 601b; allowing 33.5° traverse with from -15° to
+11° elevation closely resembling that of the Taisho 3. It could be
fitted with two carrying handles or two wheels for transport and had a
AA extension
The Type 1 7.7mm medium machine gun which came into service late in the war, was simply a
lighter version of the Type 92. Like its predecessors it was gas operated on the Hotchkiss
principle, strip feed and air-cooled. One noteworthy feature was that the tripod mounting
weighed only 36.5 lb and gave an extended traverse of 45°. The Type 1 MMG's specification
follows:
Length 38in (without flash hider)

Weight 33.5 lb
Rate of Fire Over 450rpm
Heavy Machine Guns Heavy machine guns were not included in the infantry organisation, but a
brief reference to them is included here because they are categorised as small arms. In effect
such weapons were used by the Japanese in antiaircraft or anti-tank roles. 13.2mm Type 93 and
20mm Type 98 guns predominated, but the Japanese also had a 13mm Vickers type weapon —
similar in design and appearance to the British Vickers .5in.
The Type 93 13.2mm HMG was a gas operated, air cooled and magazine fed weapon. It was
normally mounted singly on a light tripod; alternatively two guns could be mounted together on
a heavier carriage with elevating and traversing gears. On this latter mounting, all round traverse
was obtainable and elevation from 0-85°, Its characteristics were as follows:
Length 89in
Weight 87 lb
Rate of Fire 450rpm
Sights The twin mounting had a course and speed sight
incorporated
MV Ball 2,210 feet/sec
AP 2,280 feet/sec
The Type 98 20mm HMG was also a gas-operated, magazine fed weapon. But it was mounted
on a wheeled carriage giving it an all-round traverse. The carriage had detachable wooden
wheels and a split trail. Two sets of recoil springs were fitted to the carriage, which were
adjustable. Run-out was cushioned by means of an air cylinder and valves. Its spécifications
were as follows:
Weight of gun and carriage 836 lb

Length of barrel 57in
Rate of Fire 120rpm
MV 2,720 feet/sec
Mounting Traverse 360°
Elevation -10 to + 85°
(Pic Removed due to crap Scan)
Colonel in M1938 blouse.
Lieutenant in M1930 blouse.

Miscellaneous Guns
Before leaving the subject of machine guns mention must be made of one other such weapon
used by the Japanese in reasonable quantities. This was the so-called Type 92 Lewis 7.7mm'
medium machine gun — a British designed weapon classed by the British as a light machine
gun, — which the Japanese employed as a medium gun in an anti-aircraft role. The mechanism
of the weapon itself was the same as its British counterpart, and such differences as existed
between the British and Japanese models were consequent on its different role. Thus the butt was
replaced by a spade grip. The Type 92 Lewis's characteristics were as follows:
Length 56in
Weight 26 lb
Rate of Fire 600 rpm
Sights, front Blade
back Aperture folding leaf. Graduated 0-1,700m
It should be noted that the Japanese Lewis fired standard British ammunition .303.
Bayonets and Swords
The Japanese put great emphasis on the use of cold steel in battle. Japanese infantrymen were
taught to consider the bayonet their most essential weapon, their training included many hours of
bayonet fighting and by tradition they were expected to use the bayonet effectively in battle. The
general issue bayonet weighed 14oz, and had a 15 1/2 in long blade. It was a rough, mass-
manufactured but sturdy and efficient product, and in action the Japanese infantryman invariably
carried his rifle with bayonet fixed.
The big heavy swords carried by Japanese officers were not just badges of rank but for use
whenever the opportunity offered. Both the cavalry sabres and the classic single-edged blades of
Japan's feudal era were capable of slicing a handkerchief in mid-air or of parting a man's body
from collarbone to waist in a single clean slash. Until the early 1930s it was said that Tokyo's
sword makers were the remnants of a dying profession but by 1940 their business was booming.
Grenades
Like the bayonet, the hand grenade was intimately associated with the Japanese soldier in World
War II. In the Pacific and in Burma grenades became, on occasions, the only weapons used
during night operations by both Japanese and Allied troops. This disproportionate use of what
may be regarded as a relatively unsophisticated weapon was caused by two main factors. First,
the jungle cover brought opposing troops close to each other, and the grenade is a short range
weapon; second, the Japanese put great emphasis on night operations — launching many of their
attacks and probing the Allied localities during the hours of darkness. Because no weapon at that
time could be accurately aimed in the dark, the grenade became the accepted means of dealing
with targets at close range. As a night weapon it had the advantage that it would not give away
the thrower's position as would the flash of a rifle or machine gun.
A Spigot-type grenade launcher attached to rifle, with M1921 grenade having launching adaptor att
Almost every Japanese soldier carried grenades; when the situation became desperate many of
them used grenades to commit seppuku — igniting a grenade by banging it against a helmet and
then hugging the spluttering explosives to their chest. Three types of explosive grenade were
common. Two were fragmentation weapons similar to the British and American Mills design;
the third was a potato masher grenade, which relied on blast rather than fragmentation effect. Of
these three types the most effective could be projected from a mortar as well as thrown by hand.
Known as the Type 91 (or M1931) grenade its fragmentation was marginally more effective than
the second type — the Type 97 (M1937) — which was designed only as a hand grenade. The
Type 91 was generally more reliable because it was packed and transported in waterproof
containers which protected it from the humid atmosphere and deteriorating effects of the tropics.
The body of the Type 91 was cylindrical, the fuse being contained in a smaller cylinder at the
front end. The other end contained a primer and propelling charge which had no function if the
weapon was hand-thrown, but which adapted it to its secondary purpose of launching from the
Taisho 10 (M1921) or 89 (M1929) grenade dischargers (knee-mortars). This propellant-
containing portion would be unscrewed if the grenade was hand-thrown, making it lighter to
throw and less bulky to carry.
With the Type 91 the conventional type of Japanese grenade fuse was used. This fuse was in the
shape of a long projecting button which was held at 'safe' by a two-shafted crosspin, shaped like
a strong hairpin with straight sides. The grenade would be armed by withdrawing this pin — an
action which was facilitated by a loop of heavy twine tied to the 'IT of the hairpin. When the
grenade was to be thrown, the fuse was ignited by striking the front end of the button against a
hard object — usually a helmet. This action drove a firing pin into the fuse percussion cap and
initiated the eight-second fuse.
The firing pin mechanism included a lever arrangement whereby it was possible to unscrew the
firing pin inside its collar so that its point could not strike the cap. When fired from the launcher,
there was no need to strike the endcap or button to start the fuse burning, as an inertia
mechanism caused the firing pin to set back against the action of a very weak spring, as the
projectile left the barrel. The fuse time of eight seconds remained the same, whether the grenade
was hand-thrown or launched.
The Type 97 was identical with the Type 91, but for the fact that it had no provision for
launching from a grenade discharger. It had no propellant-container attached to its base and there
was no threaded hole provided to permit the attachment of such a device. Otherwise it was the
same — an inexpensively-made version of the more versatile Type 91 which could only be
thrown. It possessed no advantage over the earlier grenade except ease of manufacture. Its
compactness could be matched by the Type 91 by the simple expedient of unscrewing and
discarding the propellant base. Its explosive effect, of course, was identical with that of the Type
91.
Anti-tank mine Type 99. / Bryan Posten
An earlier type of anti-tank mine Type 93. / Bryan Posten
(Pic removed due to crap)

Anti-tank mine as used by naval forces.
(Pic removed due to crap)
Anti-personnel mine.
The Japanese stick grenade, which relied for its effect on blast rather than fragmentation, had
several functional advantages when compared with the two fragmentation types. Its fuse and
arming mechanism was housed in its long wooden handle and was well protected from moisture.
It was very handy to throw, especially from a prone position. Finally it had a very short fuse
which sparked less than the fragmentation grenades, and so — apart from being less easily
detected in flight — such grenades presented less opportunity for getting out of their way.
Smoke grenades were little used by the Japanese and the only one of any consequence was the
50mm grenade illustrated. Like the Type 91 fragmentation grenade, this bomb could be projected
from a grenade launcher or mortar.
Infantry Mortars
The fact that mortars are simple weapons, easy to operate and maintain, and ideal infantry
support weapons in close country was appreciated by the Japanese early in their pre-World War
II armament programme. The simplest and smallest of these weapons which was classed as a
'grenade launcher' has already been discussed in the section on grenades.
[The line between a grenade launcher and a mortar is thinly drawn. One concept is that a grenade
launcher is merely a means of increasing the distance of grenade projection beyond the limits of
throwing by hand, and perhaps also to increase the accuracy of throw. The ammunition for such
a weapon must necessarily be grenades. A rnortar, on the other hand, is used to increase the
weight of the missile as well as the range, throwing a heavier bomb a greater distance and
performing a mission beyond the capabilities of a mere grenade launcher.]
The original Type 10 (Model 1921) grenade launcher which had a calibre of 50mm, and was
smooth-bored, was purely a grenade launcher. But this weapon had largely been replaced at the
time of the attack on Pearl Harbor, and its successor, the Type 89 (M1929) 50mm grenade
launcher with a rifled barrel, could fire mortar 'shells' up to 700 metres. As such it could be
classed as a light mortar, comparable with the British 2-inch platoon weapon or the American
60mm company mortar.
Because the barrel of both weapons rested on a stubby curved baseplate, both the Type 10 and
the Type 89 grenade dischargers were mistakenly dubbed 'knee-mortars', although they could not
be fired from the knee or the thigh.
The Type 89 weapon weighed about 10 1/2 lb and its shells, longer and more streamlined than
the grenades, weighed 1 3/4 1b each. Lightness was a common characteristic of most Japanese
mortars especially as the weight of the particular weapon was related to the weight of its missile.
By designing their mortars to project the heaviest possible missile with the lightest possible
charge the Japanese sacrificed range, and often accuracy, for target effect. For jungle warfare,
where visibility is extremely limited and accurate obseration of fire was rarely possible, this
policy was justified.
Because it was fired by a trigger arrangement (and not by gravity action as was the British 2-inch
mortar) the Type 89 could be aimed at nearly all angles above the horizontal — the curve of the
baseplate allowing a grip on the ground or a log at lower angles of elevation. This grenade
launcher, like its predecessor, was designed to be fired normally at an angle of 45°, range being
regulated by screwing the barrel up or down to vary the chamber space. However, the Japanese
infantrymen sooned learned that their knee-mortar could be fired with the barrel almost flat
along the ground and used very effectively to project grenades at very short distances into
pillbox and window openings.
The Jap 50mm mortar. The M1938 or Type 98 mortar with a stick bomb in loaded position.
Model 1929 or Type 89 grenade launcher with rifled barrel
(Pic removed due to crappyness)
How not to fire the 'knee-mortar'.
In jungle warfare the variable volume chamber as a means of regulating the range has one great
advantage over the more usual method of altering the barrel angle. To fire the latter through a
ceiling of branches and leaves a suitably sized hole in the jungle canopy is essential. This poses a
problem which the Japanese resolved by designing the ammunition for medium and heavy
mortars to include a time delay device which prevented the ammunition from becoming armed as
soon as it left the barrel. This allowed firing through a screen of leaves and twigs without danger
to the mortar crew. For the knee-mortar a different method was used, but with the same result.
The grenades were time-fused, rather than impact detonated, and this permitted them to be shot
through the jungle canopy with the same safety provided by the device used in heavier mortar
ammunition. The variable gas chamber of the knee-mortar also gave its handler a scale of ranges
which could be lengthened or shortened without varying the angle of the barrel or the early path
of the missile.
The assortment of projectiles for the knee-mortar included high explosive shells, grenades,
smoke bombs, incendiary shells, signal flares and rockets.
The Japanese 50mm mortar was an extension of the heavy projectile — light weapon concept.
With a bore diameter of less than two inches and a weight of 481b (521b in the case of the later
Type 99 model) this mortar could hurl a 141b bomb 450 yards or a 71b missile 2,000 yards —
explosive packets all out of proportion to the weapon in calibre and weight. The mortar was, in
fact, a spigot projector since the actual projector did not even fit into the barrel of the mortar.
(They could not do so because they were some 100mm thick and roughly cubical in shape). The
bore was filled and sealed by a long wooden rod, attached to the rear of the projectiles.
Unloaded, the 50mm mortar resembled many conventionally designed European light mortars
with an elongated baseplate and a short, light bipod which fitted into the baseplate instead of
resting on the ground. The barrel, barrel cap and the socket which fitted into the baseplate was of
light construction and the only bulky item of the entire weapon was the baseplate. The traversing
mechanism was a crude arrangement, consisting of two arcs cut into the baseplate to permit the
bipod legs to be moved and then locked into position by means of wingnuts. There was no
elevating mechanism, and the barrel, when the baseplate was level, was set at a fixed angle —
45° to the horizontal.
Range adjustment was obtained by varying the propulsive force, and the 50mm mortar utilised
the same variable volume chamber principle as the knee-mortar grenade discharger. A simple
gauge was used to adjust the size of the combustion space. By means of a slide clamped to the
muzzle it was possible to control the depth of the missile rod inside the barrel, and the chamber
length to a maximum of six inches. Graduations on the slide enabled a wide variation in range
with the same propellant charge. By altering the number of propellant increments in the charge it
was, of course, possible to make further range adjustments. Propellant increments were supplied
as part of the complete round, which also included a lanyard-operated friction primer for
insertion in the primer hole in the base of the barrel, and a set of two friction-type pull-igniters
for the explosive charge. The strings of these pull-igniters were secured to the mortar after the
igniters themselves had been attached to the bomb; when the weapon was fired they would be
torn loose, igniting the charge fuse.
Japanese Infantry Weapons
Weapon Model CalibreLength MV ft Weight of Sighted Rate Type of
of Piece /sec Projectile up to fire Feed
(gr: (metres) cyclic
grains) (rpm)
Rifle, Long (1) Meiji38—1905 6.5mm (.256in) 4ft 3in 2,500 138gr 2,400 -- 5rd
Rifle, Short Meiji38 — 6.5mm (.256in) 3ft 2in — 138gr 2,000 — magazine
1905
Rifle, Short (2) 99 — 1939 7.7mm (.303in) 3ft 8in — 160-200gr 1,500 — charger
loaded
Grenade Taisho 10 — 50mm (1.97in) 1ft 8in — 18.75 oz 250 — —
discharger 1921
89—1929 50mm(1.97in) 2ft — 18.75 oz 220 — —
1.75 lb
700
Mortar (3) 98—1938 50mm (1.97in) 2ft lin — 14 lb 450 — —
18.51b
320
(4) 99—1939 81mm (3.19in) 2ft 71b 2,000 — —
small 1.25in
LMG Taisho 11 1922 6.5mm (,256in) 3ft 7.5in 2,440 138gr 1,500 500 30rd in
hopper
96—1936 6.5mm (.256in) 3ft 6in 2,410 138gr 1,500 550 30rd in
mag
(2) 99 — 1939 7.7mm (,303in) 3ft 6in 2,300 160-200gr 1,500 800 magazine
MMG (5) Taisho 3 — 6.5mm (.256in) 3ft 9in — 138gr 2,400 400 strip
1914 400 30rd
(2) 92 — 1932 7.7mm (.303in) 3ft 9.5in 2,400 160-200gr 2,700 450 strip
30rd
AA/anti-tank 93 — 1933 13mm (.52in) 7ft 5in 2,250 .1141b 3,600 — magazine
MG 10,800 30rd
98 — 1938 20mm (.787in) 4ft 9.5in 2,720 .551b 5,450 120 magazine
12,000
(ceiling)
Anti-tank rifle 97 — 1937 20mm (.787in) 6ft — .551b 1,000 — magazine
10.5ir
Notes for table
(1) Also two principal snipers' rifles: Type 91 6.5mm (.256in) and Type99 7.7 mm(.303in).
(2) Rimless ammo was provided for the 7.7mm (.303in) rifle, LMG, and MMG, but there was also a semi-
could only be fired by the 92 MMG.
(3) Other mortars included: 1922 model 70mm (2.75in) Type 97 81mm (3.19in), and Type 94 90mm (3.54
(4) Sometimes provided with a 14.31b bomb.
(5) Provided with special AA mountings and sights.
At the beginning of the war the standard Japanese medium mortar was the 81mm muzzle-loading
Type 97 (M1937) of basic Stokes-Brandt design. Weighing 145 lb with a 4ft 1 1/2 in long barrel
and conventional baseplate, there was little to distinguish it from the medium mortars in service
with almost every army in the world. The Type 99 which went into service in 1939 was a
modified lightweight and short barrelled version of Type 97. Apart from making drastic
reduction in the weight of the barrel and baseplate, a principle was introduced that was not
normally utilised in the construction of mortars. The bore was machined so that the ammunition
fitted tightly in the bore, so giving improved gas seal.
The barrel of the Type 99 consisted of a straight cylinder 21 1/2 in long, and the baseplate was a
square ribbed piece of steel with a single socket. A small bipod incorporated elevating,
traversing, cross levelling and recoil mechanism; all these mechanisms were contained in the
bipod of the larger Type 97 model.
One other exceptional feature in the Type 99 was its firing mechanism. The Type 97 model had a
fixed firingpin, but the Type 99 was given a trigger firing mechanism which permitted the bomb
to be fired after it had seated itself against the breech. This was necessary because the close
windage and shorter barrel reduced the impact of the bomb on the firing pin. Firing was effected
by striking the head of the firing pin with a wooden mallet or similar instrument.
Model 97 Model 99
Total weight 1451b 2oz 50,81b

Weight: Tube 451b 9oz 17.51b
Weight: Bipod 471b 12oz 15.01b
Weight: Baseplate 511b 12oz 18,31b
Length of Tube: Interior 45.75in 21.50in
Length of Tube: Overall 45.75in 21.75in
Sights Collimator Collimator
Range 3,000yd 2,000yd
Ammunition HE w/PD fuse (Finned HE w/PD fuse (Finned shell)
shell)
One other heavy mortar was often found with the Japanese infantry. This was the 90mm Type 94
or Type 97 mortar. A muzzle-loading weapon of heavy steel construction, the Type 94 was
generally regarded as far too heavy and cumbersome for operations in the jungles of Burma and
the South-West Pacific, and it was replaced by the Type 97; the latter was also regarded as too
heavy. One distinguishing feature of both these mortars was the two large recoil cylinders
mounted on each side of the barrel.
Type 97 Type 94
Length of barrel, overall 52.375in 50in

Length of barrel, interior 48in 48in
Outside diameter of barrel at 111 mm 103mm
muzzle
Outside diameter of barrel at base 111 mm 116mm
Bore diameter 90mm 90mm
Total weight of mortar 2331b 341.51b
Weight of barrel 801b 751b
Size of base plate 29xl8.5in 29xl8.5in
Weight of base plate 921b 89.51b
Weight of recoil mechanism None 1041b
Weight of bipod group 61 lb 73 lb
Recoil (maximum) 6in
Buffer recoil (maximum) 3.5in
Type of recoil Hydro-pneumatic
Traverse 10 deg
Weight of bomb 11.5 lb
Dimensions of baseplate 28.5 x 18.51b
Range, minimum 610yd
Range, maximum 4,150yd
One outstanding feature of both 90mm weapons was their mechanism. The barrel, which fitted
into the recoil mechanism was secured by a U-shaped locking pin and supported solely by the
ball fitting at base of recoil mechanism. Attached to the top of the bipod were two plungers
incorporated indirectly into the buffer system. At the top end of the recoil mechanism were
projections which positioned themselves within plungers mounted on the bipod; a screw cover,
at lower end of the plungers, covered this junction.
Japanese Infantry Support Weapons
Length Shell
of bore Weight Range
Weapon Model Calibre (cal) MV (ft/sec) Type (lb) max (yd
Anti-tank gun 94 — 1934 37mm 40 2,300 AP 1.54 5,500
HE
(1.46in)
(1) 1 — 1941 47mm 99.48in 2,700 AP 3.37 —
(1.85in) HE 3.08
Battalion gun 92 gun — 1932 70mm 11 650 HE 8.36 3,075
(2.75in) Shrapnel
Smoke
Regimental Meiji 41 — 75mm 17 1,250 HE 14 7,800
gun (2.95in) AP 15
1908 Shrapnel
Mountain gun 94—1934 mtn 75mm 21 1,300 HE 13.4 9,800
gun (2.95in) Shrapnel
Chemical
Field gun 90 — 1930 75mm 44 2,230 HE 14.3 13,300
(2.95in) AP
Shrapnel
Smoke
Field howitzer 91 — 1931 105mm (4. 24 1,790 HE 35 14,200
14in)
Medium Taisho 4 (1915) 150mm 22 1,350 HE 80° 7,560
howitzer and later models (5.90in) AP
CW
Shrapnel
Smoke
96 (1936) 150mm 22 HE 80° 11,400
(5.90in) AP
Shrapnel
Smoke
(1) The 47mm (1.85 in) anti-tank gun was replaced by the 37mm (1.45 in) towards the end of the war.
Infantry Guns
Japanese infantry battalions and infantry regiments had their own close support artillery. These
guns of 70 and 75mm calibre — correctly referred to as the 'battalion gun' (the 70mm weapon
would have been more accurately described as a 'battalion howitzer') and the 'regimental gun' —
were the ones which the Japanese deployed in the most forward areas. The 70mm Type 92
(M1932) was the standard battalion equipment, each battalion possessing two; the 75mm Meiji
41 (M1908) was issued on a scale of four to each infantry regiment.
Except perhaps for the 37mm Type 94 anti-tank gun the neat little short-barrelled 70mm
battalion howitzer was the most versatile and most mobile of all Japanese light artillery. Easy to
handle, it could throw an 8.36 lb shell in a high arc to a maximum range of about two miles
(3,075yd). The entire weight of the gun and carriage was only 468 lb — making it easy to
transport into difficult terrain. Wherever the Japanese went their infantry would take the
battalion gun. It was designed to be carried by animal transport but when it was broken down
into its componets it was man-portable and Japanese infantrymen often lugged this gun up to
dominating locations to fire over open sights at Allied positions. Like the 50mm Type 98 mortar,
the battalion gun was designed with the heavy projectile-light weapon concept in mind. Because
the length of the projectiles was three times as large as the tumbler-sized cartridge case, the
ammunition seemed strangely out of proportion.
The most noticeable feature of the 75mm Meiji 41 Regimental gun was the peculiar tubular
construction of its single trail. The piece broke down into six pack animal transport loads with a
total weight of l,2001b. Ballistically it was comparable with the American 75mm of World War
IL To attain a 7,800yd maximum range the ammunition of the Meiji 41 was necessarily heavier
than that of the battalion gun, A higher muzzle velocity — some 1,250ft per second — allowed
its shells to keep up with their own sound and strike without warning. This was a marked
advantage over the battalion gun, whose slow-moving projectiles (projected at a muzzle velocity
of only 650ft per second) proclaimed their arrival long before they landed.
Anti-Tank Guns
Faced with the American threat to the Mariana Islands in May 1944 the Japanese War Office
sent reinforcements from Manchuria to the Central Pacific and organised them there in new
formations. Infantry battalions in the brigades of these new formations were stronger in heavier
weapons than the battalions in standard infantry divisions. In particular the battalion artillery
company often had a mountain artillery platoon of three mountain guns, and almost invariably a
'rapid-fire gun' platoon of two anti-tank guns. Mountain guns are discussed in the next chapter,
but as anti-tank weapons were primarily manned by infantry it is appropriate to consider them
here.
Two anti-tank guns existed: the old Type 94 (M1934) 37mm (1.45in) and the more modern Type
I (M1941) 47mm (1.85in). Both were intended as dual purpose weapons, firing solid armour
piercing (AP) shot and high explosive shells, and consequently both suffered from the
disadvantages inherent in weapons designed for more than one role. The 37mm gun had a
muzzle velocity of 2,300ft per second at barrel length of 40in, while the 47mm weapon had a
muzzle velocity of 2,700ft per second and barrel length of approximately 100in. Until the
invasion of the Philippines the Japanese had rarely had been faced with an armoured threat, and
until 1944 the 37mm weapon been primarily employed in a 'battation gun' role. In the event
neither the 37mm nor its successor proved to be effective against American-built tanks.
Chapter 4 Armour
In the Japanese language the word for battle, sen, has been combined with the word for wagon,
sha, to form sensha, a tank. Japanese interest in armoured fighting vehicles can be traced back to
the 1920s when the British firm of Vickers persuaded the Japanese War Ministry to buy one of
the Medium C tanks which Vickers salesmen were endeavouring to sell to a number of foreign
powers. In fact the Japanese had already embarked on the building of a heavy tank, but when
their designers ran into trouble from lack of experience they decided to adapt foreign designs to
their requirements. Thus in 1929 when Japan started producing her own tanks they were based
on early models of the French Renault M1917, the Vickers Medium C, and the Carden-Loyd
light tank Mark VI. For the most part the Japanese models closely followed the design of the
originals. The Type 89A which appeared in 1929, for example, bore a strong resemblance to the
original Mark C prototype which Vickers had supplied to Japan in response to their order for a
Medium C three years previously. However, the Type 89A had thicker armour, only two
machine guns instead of four, and a crew of four instead or the five needed in the Mark C. The
Japanese tank also had a stronger suspension, but this and the additional weight of the armour
resulted in a slower speed. In effect the Japanese had converted a fast light tank into an infantry
support vehicle. The decision to do so was to be reflected in subsequent Japanese armoured
policy up to 1945. Tanks were generally regarded as subordinate to the traditional arms, and not
as an arm of decision in their own right.
In 1932 the experimental Type 89A was followed by the Type 92, a so-called 'heavy' tank (of 26
tons) whose 34 bogie wheels gave it the appearance of a giant man-made centipede. The Type 92
did not prove successful and the Japanese turned to the design of lighter armoured fighting
vehicles more in keeping with their maritime strategy aimed at weaker opponents.
The first Japanese tankette came into service in 1932, and was clearly a development of the
Garden Loyd series of weapon carriers. Like the thin-skinned light tank T95 which appeared in
quantity three years later, the tankette was used with success against the Chinese in the Sino-
Japanese war. The Chinese had no effective equipment with which to counter the Japanese
armour and the fact that they frequently conceded a battle when Japanese tankettes and Type 95s
appeared undoubtedly distorted Japanese views of armoured fighting vehicles. While the
development of tanks and tank tactics was accelerating in Europe, Japanese technology made
little advance, probably because the theatres in which they expected to fight were not suited to
uninhibited tank battles. Shortly before the war in Europe, however, Japan did introduce a new
tank which owed much to her own designers. This was the medium Type 97, known also as the
Chi-Ha, which went into service in 1942. Developed from the Type 95, the Chi-Ha was
eventually developed to carry a variety of armaments, including in one version a 150mm gun,
and in another, a 300mm mortar.
By European standards the armour of the Japanese tanks was thin, but the main armament was
comparable with equivalent British and American tanks so far as calibre and weight of projectile
was concerned.
General Characteristics
Classification: Japanese tanks were divided into:
Tankettes 3 to 4.5 tons

Light Tanks up to 10 tons
Medium 10 to 20 tons
Heavy over 20 tons
Tanks were named after the manufacturer, and — like their other weapons and military stores —
numbered by the Japanese calendar year, dates being taken from 660 BC (which was their year
00). Thus the European equivalent of a year date is found by subtracting 660. Turrets: were all
round or oval.
Armament: In some models a machine gun was mounted in the back plate of the turret. Special
machine gun compartments were often built out of the superstructure. Machine guns were
seldom, if ever, mounted coaxially with the main armament.
Armour: The most heavily armoured Japanese tank of World War II was the obsolescent M2595,
27 ton heavy tank, with 35mm (1.38in) armour on the front.
This was inadequate in a tank of this weight. The Japanese generally used rolled armour with
welded and riveted joints, both types of joint being commonly found in the same tank. The use of
curved plates was a common feature.
Suspension: In the tankette, and the latest light and medium tanks, the Japanese used modified
Carden-Loyd suspension in which the weight of the tank was supported by horizontal
compression springs arranged inside tubular protective casings on each side of the hull between
the bogie wheels and return rollers.
Speed: Maximum speeds were not high, but the power-weight ratios (25 for the light tank)
resulted in good cross-country speeds.
Lightness: The Japanese have emphasised lightness, and track pressures were low, giving an
important advantage when travelling over soft ground.
Insulation: Woven asbestos heat insulation was placed inside the hull and turret of the tankette
and light tank.
Engines: The Japanese used air-cooled diesel engines.

Accommodation: By European standards crew accommodation was cramped.
Characteristics of Individual AFVs
Japanese Tankette: Series M2592, M2594

Length: 11 ft Width: 5ft 3in Height 5ft 4in
Weight: 3 tons Speed: 20-25mph
Armament: One machine gun in turret
Armour: Front: 14mm (.55in) Sides: 8mm (.31in) Turret: 14mm (.55in)
Crew: Two
The engine of the tankette was on left side and to the front. The turret was mounted on rear of
hull superstructure, giving a general boot-shape impression. The round turret contained a
machine gun in a ball mounting; the glacis plate was long and sloping; there were four bogie
wheels in two pans.
Light Tank: Early Model, series M2593

Length: 14ft 8in Width: 5ft 10in Height: 6ft
Weight: 7 tons Speed: 28mph
Armament: One light machine gun in turret. One light machine gun in front superstructure
Armour: Up to 22mm (.87in)
Crew: Three
This model had a small, high and round turret with sloping sides, and its machine guns were in
ball mountings. There were three bogies each with two small wheels and semi-elliptic springing.
Light Tank: Series M2595

Length: 14ft 4in Width: 6ft 9in Height: 7ft
Weight: Unladen 7 tons, in action 8-9 tons Speed: 28mph
Armament: One 37mm (1.45in) gun in turret. One machine gun in rear of turret. One machine
gun in superstructure
Armour: Front: 12mm (.47in) Sides: 10-12mm (,39-.47in) Turret: 12mm (.47in)
Crew: Four
This tank was distinguished by a rounded turret with square front on medium high
superstructure. The sides of the superstructure protruded over top of tracks, and there were four
bogie wheels in two pairs on each side.
1 Tankette Model 2594 (1934).
2 Light tank Model 2593 (1933).
3 Medium tank 2589B (1929).
4 Medium tank 2597 (1933).
(Scale 1mm = 1m)
Bryan Posten
Medium Tank: Early Model, series M2594 (This tank, based on the old Vickers Mark C, was
considered obsolescent in 1941)
Length: 20ft 10in Width: 8ft 4in Height: 8ft 6in
Weight: 14 tons
Speed: 28mph
Armament: One 37mm (1.45in) in turret. One light machine gun in rear of turret. One light
machine gun in front hull
Armour: Front and turret: 17mm (.67in) Sides: llmm (.43in)
Crew: Five
This model had a rounded turret, sloping sides, and a machine gun ball-mounted in rear of the
turret. Its superstructure protruded over tops of nine small bogie wheels which were almost
entirely obscured by skirting. The rear of hull was fitted with a tail to increase trench-crossing
performance.
Medium Tank: Series M2595 and M2597

Length: 18ft Width: 7ft 8in Height: 7ft2.5in.
Weight: Unladen 13ton 6 cwt, in action 15 tons
Speed: 25mph max
Armament: One 57mm (2.24in) gun in turret. One machine gun in rear of turret. One machine
gun in front superstructure
Armour: Front: 25mm (.98in) Sides: 15mm (.59in)
Crew: Four
This series was recognised by the rounded turret with a machine gun in a ball mounting facing
rear. A second machine gun was housed in a superstructure to the left. There were six medium-
sized bogie wheels and a hand-rail type aerial around the top of the turret.
Heavy Tanks
The so-called heavy tank, series M2595, did not see action in World War II — being considered
obsolete. With a length of 21ft, width 8.5ft and height of 9.5ft, this vehicle weighed 27 tons and
was said to have a maximum speed of 13,5mph. As armament it carried one 70mm (2.76in) gun,
one 37mm (1.45in) gun and two machine guns.
An obsolete 38 ton Japanese imitation of the Vickers Independent 1925/26, known as the Ishi
108 was also said to exist at the beginning of the war,
Armoured Cars
Armoured cars are usually regarded as reconnaissance or liaison vehicles, whose prime mission
is to gain information or liaise between various units. They are intended to fight only as a last
resort and for this they need to be highly mobile. The Japanese Sumida M2593 fitted this
specification. It had few refinements but it could be re-wheeled to run on the railway tracks
which often provided a better alternative to the roads in the Far East. Known as an armoured car-
trolley because in 20 minutes it could be converted into an armoured trolley to run on the railway
lines, the Sumida was extensively used in Manchuria for the protection of railway battalions
from guerillas and bandits. In this role light armoured wagons were sometimes coupled to it to
form a light armoured train for a rapid advance or to move small groups of troops quickly. The
Sumida armoured car's characteristics were as follows:
Length: 15ft 9in Width: 5ft 11in Height: 7ft 7 in

Weight: 6.5 tons
Speed: 50mph
Armament: One heavy machine gun in turret. Seven rifle slits
Armour: Up to 16mm (.63in)
Crew: Four-six
The Sumida was the standard Army armoured car, but two other types existed. The Japanese
Naval six-wheeled armoured car was often landed with detachments of the Imperial Navy
destined for garrison duties. Characteristics were as follows:
Length: 15ft 8in

Width: 5ft 10in
Height: 7ft 6in
Weight: 6.5 tons
Speed: 50mph
Armament: Four light machine guns
Armour: 8-11mm (.31-.43in)
Crew: Four-six
The other type, the Osaka, also a six-wheeled vehicle, was an improvisation built on a
commercial long chassis, and distinguished by twin tyres on the rear wheels. Its characteristics
were as follows:
Length: 16ft 4in

Width: 6ft lin
Height: 8ft 8in
Weight: 5.8 tons
Speed: 37mph
Armament: Two light machine guns
Armour: 8-llmm (.31-.43in)
Crew: Four-five
Armoured Trains
In Manchuria the Japanese used armoured trains, consisting principally of tank-like armoured
freight cars, each mounting four machine guns and equipped to carry 18 riflemen apiece. With an
armoured engine as the propulsion unit, such trains were made up of combinations of armoured
freight cars, with a box-car for headquarters, trucks carrying 75mm field guns, machine gun
trucks and trucks with sleepers, rails and materials to repair damaged railway lines.
Miscellaneous Armour
Amphibious Tanks
In China, in 1939, the Japanese used amphibious tanks to cross a river near Changsa. These tanks
were a variation of their early model of light tank, and similar to the Vickers amphibious, relying
on a collapsible screen and not a bulky pontoon, to keep them afloat. These tanks did not appear
again, but T95s were floated across Pacific island rivers by means of pontoon devices carried by
Japanese engineer units.
Tank Trailers
Ammunition and stores were carried in trailers towed either by tankettes or light tanks. Up to
3,300 lb could be transported in such trailers, the most advanced of which were tracked with a
pair of bogie wheels each side and a rocker arm suspension.
Support Vehicles
Work tanks for company supply sections had the same chassis as the medium tank, with a box
body taking the place of the turret. Crane tanks were a variation of the work tanks, being fitted
with a motor-driven crane at the rear.
Ammunition and Vulnerability

The shell for the 94 type 37mm (1.45in) tank gun was supplied in boxes of 10 rounds, weighing
371b. The 90 type 57mm (2.24in) tank gun fired either an armour-piercing shell of an HE of the
same weight. Both were packed in boxes of 10 rounds, weighing 88 lb.
Medium tanks carried 20 rounds per gun, and 2,000-3,000 rounds of machine gun ammunition.
British and American small arms ammunition penetrated the Japanese tankette and light tank.
Vickers .51in (12.8mm) AP could penetrate the sides and put out of action the tracks of medium
and light tanks, and the British .55in armour-piercing bullet fired from the 'Boys' anti-tank rifle
would undoubtedly penetrate the front, but there is no record of it doing so.
However 47mm (1.85in), 37mm (1.45in) and 20mm (.79in) anti-tank guns firing AP certainly
proved effective against the 94 type medium tank at 880 yards.
Armoured Tactics
It is rarely possible to assess the capabilities of a weapon unless it is considered in relation to its
tactical employment. A brief summary of the Japanese attitude towards the use of armour and
their experience is therefore desirable.
Being obsessed with the value of the attack it was to be expected that Japanese training of tank
troops stressed the offensive. Two main battle doctrines were taught — the attack and the
pursuit; little consideration was given to the defence. The attack was supposed to be carried out
with speed and deception, the basic principle being to 'anchor' the enemy by frontal action while
enveloping him from flanks and rear. Little thought seem to have been given to the independent
use of armour, and Japanese Field Service Manuals emphasised the use of all arms at each
successive stage of a battle. Tanks and armoured cars could be used in a variety of ways; if
enough were available and the circumstances were right they could even be used on independent
raids. But their main role was to assist and protect infantry.
Japanese Terms Used in Connection with Armour

Tank sensha
Tank corps senshatai

Tankette keisokosha
Light tank kei sensha
Medium tank chu sensha
Heavy tank ju sensha
Supply tank hokyu sensha
Battle tank sento sensha
Bridging tank gakyo sensha
Ammunition tank danyaku yusoyo sensha
Armoured car sokojidosha
Armoured train soko ressha
Tank commander sensha cho
Tank officer sensha shoko
Tank crew sensha jion
Tank engineers senshatai-zuki kohei
Tank section sensha shotai
Tank company sensha chutai
Tank battalion sensha daitai
Tank brigade sensha ryodan
Tank regiment sensha reniai
Divisional tank company shidan sensha chutai
Tank bridging company gakyo sensha chutai
Tank brigade MT company sensha ryodan yuso chutai
Tank pool sensha sho
Tank attack sensha no kogeki
Tank (route) reconnaissance sensha (shinro no) teisatsu
Tank mine tai- sensha jirai
Tank obstacle ---
Tank trap sensha shogaibutsua
And this was invariably the way they were used. Tanks preceded Japanese infantry on occasions;
they moved off with infantry from a given start line, and they often followed. They were used as
reserve, as pursuit troops, against the garrisons of walled towns and against guerillas in open
fields. But rarely were they employed in the way that armoured forces were used in the West. In
the final drive on Hankow in 1938 a new formation of mechanised artillery and motorised
infantry was formed in the field, but as soon as its mission was accomplished, this embryo
armoured division was disbanded.
In November 1937 three Japanese tanks formed a stationary battery while infantry were crossing
the Suchow Canal, and in February 1938, 40 tanks were similarly employed at the crossing of
the River Hwai. A few months later, tanks were used as pursuit troops — driving along both
sides of the Yangtze at the same time.
In 1938, during the attack on Suchowfu, tanks made a wide circling dash and cut the railway
lines nearly 40 miles from the city. Four years later, in the battle of Kuala Dipang (Malaya)
having failed in encircling attacks, the Japanese brought tanks into action straight down the road.
On this occasion men of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders 'hid in the jungle, joined with
units of a Punjab regiment and successfully attacked the follow-up Japanese infantry, inflicting
on them losses of seven or eight to one'.
At the battle of Slim River, Malaya 1942, in the same year, the Japanese were once again foiled
in their encircling move. They again attacked with tanks — 30 of them moving straight down the
road to a depth of 20 miles.
At Milne Bay a few light tanks were used and about ten on Guadalcanal. On each occasion their
use was restricted by the terrain, but on neither was there any outstanding tactical employment.
The one factor steadily apparent in Japanese armoured tactics was that of constant change to
meet conditions as they occurred. Tankettes were originally planned for bringing up ammunition
in their tracked trailers to the front lines; for the evacuation of casualties; and for reconnaissance
in the manner of an armoured weapons carrier such as the Bren. But tankettes came to be seen as
tanks, and nearly all Japanese landings in China were made with a force of two divisions, each
disembarked with a tankette unit.
Tankettes were usually landed from the square stern of landing boats beached stern first, baulks
of timber being used to extend the landing platform. At the landing near Do Son the Japanese put
ashore 2,000 troops, three medium tanks, artillery and 10 tankettes in 20 minutes.
In assault on walled towns tanks played a decisive role, but not by battering the ramparts. The
attacking force was divided into four columns — one column attacking the front wall, while two
other columns attacked the adjacent sides; the rear was purposely left free from attack. Artillery
blew breaches in the two near corners; and then infantry entered and moved through the town,
driving the enemy from the rear. Meantime the fourth column of tanks waited until the enemy
were well into the open and then, from ambush or by a wide encircling movement, cut them
down.
Japanese Armoured Cars

Type Weight Crew Armour Armament Dimensions Engine Speed Suspension
(tons)
Sumida 6- 6.5 4-6 Up to 1 HMG in Length 15ft 9in 40hp 50mph 6 wheels C
wheel 16mm turret Width 5ft 11in petrol r
(armoured (.63in) 7 rifle slits Height 7ft 7in
car trolley)
Osaka 6- 5-8 4-5 8-11 mm 2 LMGs Length 16ft 4in 35hp 37mph 6 wheels C
wheel (.31-.43in) Width 6ft lin petrol 4- T
(armoured Height 8ft 8in cylinder
car) water
cooled
Naval 6- 6.5 4-6 8-11mm 4 LMGs Length 15ft 8in 85hp 6- 50mph 6 wheels
wheel (.31-43in) Width 5ft cylinder p
(armoured Height 7ft 6in water
car) cooled
Japanese Tanks
Type Weight (tons) Crew Armour Armament Dimen
Tankette 3 2 Turret 14mm (.55in) One MG in ball mounting Length

(Series M2592, Hull front 14mm in turret Width 5
2594, etc Hull sides 8mm (.3 in) Height
Light Tank 7 3 Up to 22mm (.87in) One LMG in front turret Length 1

(Early Model, One LMG in front Width 5
M2593) superstructure Heigh
Light Tank Unladen 7 4 Turret 12mm (.47in) One 37mm (1.45in) gun Length
(Series M2595, In action 8-9 Hull front 12mm in front turret Width 6
etc) Hull sides 10-12mm (.40- One MG right rear of Heigh
.47in) turret
Hull rear 12mm One MG in left front
superstructure
Medium Tank 14 4 Front 17mm (,67in) One 37mm (1.45in) gun Length w
(Early Model, Sides 11mm (.43in) in front turret 20ft 1
M2594) Turret 17mm One M G in rear of turret Width 8
One MG in front Height
superstructure
Medium Tank Unladen 13.5 4 Front 25mm (.98in) One 57mm (2.24in) gun Length
(Series M2595 In action 15 Sides 15mm (.59in) in front turret Width 7
2597, etc) Top 8mm(.31in) One MG in rear turret Height 7
One MG in from
superstructure
Heavy Tank 27 5 Up to 35mm (1.38in) One 70mm (2.75in) gun Length 2

(Early Model One 37mm (1.45in) gun Width 8
M2595) and two MGs Height
Chapter 5 Artillery and Mortars

Field Artillery
Japanese 70mm and 75mm Regimental guns were described in Chapter 3. Apart from these
weapons, which were organic to all infantry battalions, field artillery support was provided by
the field artillery regiment in a standard infantry division or by an artillery battalion attached to
the independent infantry brigades. Field artillery and mountain regiments were both similarly
organised into three battalions each equipped with 12 75mm (2.95in) guns. These guns were
copies or developments of an early Krupp design — the latest Type 95 (M1935) field piece
capable of hurling a 14.3 lb HE, AP, shrapnel or smoke shell to a maximum range of 12,000yd.
This particular gun had an all-up weight in action of slightly less than 2,500 lb, while its 1930
predecessor weighed 800 lb more but could hurl the same projectile 13,300yd. The mountain gun
fired a 13.41b shell and had a r ange of 9, 800yd.
Independent mountain artillery regiments differed from their divisional counterparts in having
two battalions instead of three. Each battalion had three companies and battalion transport
(which was additional to regimental transport). Regimental strength was approximately 2,500 all
ranks; armament, 24 guns — normally the 75mm (2.95in) mountain guns. One regiment
operating in the SW Pacific had a strength of about 1,500. But it had left a large part of its
transport in rear areas, and had only three guns to the company instead of the normal four, a
pioneer section taking the place of the fourth gun section.
Medium Artillery
105mm 'field howitzers', classed by the Japanese as 'heavy' artillery, were issued to three of the
old Ko (Type A) divisions. These guns, which first appeared in 1931, were constructed to a
design based on a 1905 Schneider howitzer. With an all-up weight in action of nearly two tons
they were cumbersome cannons. But they could throw a 351b shell a distance of 11,500yd.
Medium artillery, as such, were equipped either with 105mm guns, or 150mm Taisho 4 or Type
96 (M1936) howitzers. There were in fact two models of 105mm guns — the Type 14, issued in
1925, and the Type 92, which went into service in 1932; both were towed by tractors. By 1939
the Type 14 was considered to be obsolete, and the 1932 weapon — weighing about three tons in
action, and firing a 331b HE projectile to a range of 20,000yd — predominated.
Of the medium howitzers the Taisho 4 and a number of improved models of it, together with the
Type 96 saw considerable action against Allied forces. The Taisho 4, weighing nearly three tons
in action could shoot an 801b projectile 7,500yd, while the modern Type 96 — weighing a ton
more than its predecessor — could better this range by a further 3,800yd. Medium howitzer
regiments carried a total of 2,760 rounds of HE in their first and second line transport; medium
gun regiments carried 2,592 rounds.
'Field Heavy' Artillery
150mm Type 89 guns and 240mm Type 45 howitzers are considered in this category because
they had a certain degree of mobility. The Type 89 gun, for example, was tractor-drawn, while
the old (1912) Type 45 240mm howitzers were broken down and transported in 10 vehicles to
each weapon. The 150mm gun which weighed about 7.5 tons in action could fire an 801b shell
10 miles (22,000yd). The old 240mm howitzer had only half this range — 11,000yd — but its
projectile weighed 4001b,
Heavy and Fortress Weapons
These weapons are detailed in the accompanying table. Apart from a 24mm railway gun there
were several low trajectory and high angle siege pieces which were principally deployed as
fortress armament. Prime movers for the 410mm howitzers and 240mm railway gun were of
prewar American manufacture.
Anti-Aircraft Artillery
Standard Japanese anti-aircraft weapons ran the gamut of calibres from that of the 7.7mm
(,303in) medium machine gun to 105mm heavy guns. In addition to the Army's own weapons a
number of naval pieces were also pressed into service — especially towards the end of the war.
In the smaller calibres the 13.2mm Hotchkiss dual purpose heavy machine gun — which fired its
little ,52in projectiles at a muzzle velocity of 2,250ft per second, to a vertical height of 13,000ft
— acquired a good reputation in China. The 20mm quick-firing gun of the Japanese machine
cannon units which boosted its half-pound shell, by nearly 500ft per second more was also well
thought of. This was an Oerlikon type weapon. Both guns were light, fairly mobile and fitted
with flash eliminators to reduce the chance of enemy aircraft spotting their location. 25mm naval
pom-poms and old (1931 vintage) 40mm Vickers type naval machine cannons were also
employed. But the Army's stand-bys for defence against air attack were 75s of two models. One
was introduced in 1922 and the other in 1928. The older gun had a velocity of only 1,800ft per
second and would not reach as far into the skies as the later version, which had 560ft per second
more muzzle velocity. But guns handled 14 1/2 lb explosive shells. The practical rate of fire was
10-12 rounds per minute with the older gun and 20 rounds with the 1928 weapon; although a rate
of 25rpm was claimed for both. Vertical ranges were around 20,000ft for the 1922 gun, and
30,000ft for the later model;
11,000yd and 15,000yd respectively were claimed as horizontal ranges. Some AA battalions
deployed primarily in the defence of the home islands were equipped with 105mm guns. Of 1925
vintage these guns projected 351b missiles at a muzzle velocity of 2,300ft per second. Vertical -
range was around 36,000ft and the horizontal was about 21,999ft; rate of fire was eight rounds
per minute.
Other AA guns worthy of mention and included in the table of AA weapons are the obsolescent
pedestal mounted 76.2mm (3in) naval AA gun , and the 1929 model 127mm (5in) heavy naval
gun.
Anti-Tank Artillery
Most of the Japanese anti-tank weapons were with the infantry, and the infantrymen were trained
to deal with tanks with grenades and close assault weapons. This meant moving in on enemy
armour and personal assaults with anti-tank mines, explosive and incendiary (Molotov cocktail)
charges.
Artillery weapons which were considered suitable for use in an anti-tank role were the infantry
75mm Regimental gun (of which each infantry regiment had four), the 70mm Battalion gun —
of which there were two in each infantry battalion; together with the 75mm Mountain guns and
the 75mm field guns of the field artillery regiments. Armour piercing ammunition was issued for
use with all these weapons.
Independent anti-tank units were equipped either with the 37mm (1.45in) or the 47mm (1.85in)
anti-tank gun. With a muzzle velocity of 2,300ft per second the 37mm weapon's 1.51b solid shot
was said to be capable of piercing one inch of armour at normal; the more modern 47mm guh
with a muzzle velocity of 2,700ft per second could double this performance. Both weapons had a
lateral traverse of 60° on their split trails, and a vertical elevation from —11° to +25° in the case
of the 37mm and —11° to +19° with the 47mm gun.
Until the invasion of the Philippines it must be remembered that the Japanese had had virtually
no anti-tank problem to worry about and the 37mm gun was relatively untried.
Mortar Units
The standard 81mm mortars have been described in Chapter 3. These Hakugeki weapons were in
fact sometimes issued to Japanese artillery units.
The so-called 'medium' mortars issued to mortar battalions were in fact 15cm weapons. Heavy
and ungainly in appearance they were of conventional design — smooth-bore, muzzle-loaded,
bipod mounted — little more, in fact, than enlarged versions of the 81mm weapon.
Weighing 778 lb, the 15cm Model 97 fired an HE bomb of 56 lb to a maximum range of
2,300yd. Bursting radius of the bomb was said to be 65ft.
The weapon was assembled and operated like any other Stokes-Brandt mortar; its only peculiarly
Japanese characteristic was a firing mechanism like that of the 81mm Model 99 weapon, which
used a firing pin camshaft built into the base cap instead of a fixed firing pin.
Independent artillery mortar battalions (Dokunitsu Kyoho Daitai) in Burma were issued with a
ponderous 250mm Type 98 (M1938) spigot mortar which could throw a 700 lb bomb about
1,000yd. This weapon was clearly akin to the 320mm spigot mortar designed specifically for
demolition work. (Few of them were made and they were little used).
In both cases the spigot mortar itself comprised a steel spigot, a domed steel mounting plate —
supported by a dome-shaped wooden block, and a steel baseplate; these were all bolted to a
heavy wood block base. The spigot was a steel cylinder with a cavity at the upper end for the
propellant. The wooden base consisted of three sections of rectangular baulks of timber, the top
section, the middle and the bottom sections — alternate sections being laid at rightangles to one
another.
Provision was made for a limited amount of traverse and the spigot-seating bolts were so
constructed as to permit setting up for line. Changes in range were obtained by varying the
propellant charge.
Bombs were in three parts which screwed together; an HE warhead fitted with a nose-fuse, a
cylindrical central portion with an internal cavity for a secondary filling, and a cylindrical finned
tail unit.
The primary and augmenting charges were contained in a brass case which fitted into the spigot
cavity; ignition was by means of an electric ignitor through a flash channel in the side of the
spigot and the bomb tail.
Two other artillery weapons also deserve mention: the 70mm Taisho, Model 2 (1922) and the
70mm 'Barrage' or 'Spike' mortar.
The Taisho 2, a clumsy muzzle-loaded and rifled weapon, was declared obsolescent early in the
war. Its significant feature was its wooden baseplate which mounted the whole weapon, and the
fact that it had no bipod — an elevating screw being attached to the baseplate. This mortar
necessarily had a slow rate of fire because of the time taken by the projectile to seat itself in the
barrel before firing. The 70mm 'Barrage' mortar was in effect a very simple, muzzle-loading
smooth bore weapon, firing a projectile which ejected a number of small parachute-suspended
explosive tubes. It was effective against low flying aircraft if used in sufficient numbers, as a
small number of these mortars could maintain a dangerous 'barrage' of floating bomb tubes in the
air.
The barrel was mounted on a wooden baseplate with a spike on its lower side — the spike being
an iron rod about one inch thick and 18in long. Laying the mortar was determined solely by the
angle at which the rod was stuck into the ground, and there was no way of traversing or elevating
it. Nor was there any method of fire control.
1 70mm Model 11.
2 81 mm Model 3.
3 90mm Model 97 (1937).
4 150mm Model 97 (1937).
5 81mm Model 99 (1939),
6 81mm Battalion mortar Type 97
Bryan Posten
Japanese AA Weapons (including Dual Purpose and Naval)

Model Calibre Range, max Rate of Weight in MV Ammunition Weight R
(a) Vertical (ft) fire action (ft/sec) of
(b) Horizontal practical projectile
(yd)
92(1932) 7.7mm (a) 4,000 (est) 300-350 122 lb 2,400 Ball, AP 0.47 oz The infa
(.303in) (b) 4,600 Incendiary, with AA a
tracer type (1)
93 13.2mm (a) 13,000 250-300 7.5cwt 2,250 Ball, AP, .114 lb Single (p
(1933) (.52in) (b) 7,000 (double) tracer Douple (tr
(Ground sight to Gun alone m
3,600 metres) 87 lb
98(1938) 20mm (a) 12,000 120-150 836 lb 2,720 HE, AP, .55 lb Dual pu
(.79in) (b) 5,450 without tracer, HE weapon, ca
wheels tracer (SD) cann
96(1936) 25mm (a) 14,000 175-200 5,330 lb 2,978 HE, AP, HE .55 lb Single
(.98in) (b) 5,700 (triple tracer (SD), (pedesta
mount) HE white m
Single gun phosphorous
only 246 lb
91(1931) 40mm (a) 13,000 60-100 l,960 lb 2,000 Tracer, AP, 1.52 lb Vickers
(1.57in) (b) 5,000 per single 3,130 HE HE with double (p
barrel lb twin time fuse
11 75mm (a) 19,600 10-12 4,8001b 1,800 HE 14.5 lb Ob
(1922) (2.95in) (b) 11, 000
35 cal
88(1928) 75mm (a) 30,000 20 5,390 lb 2,360 HE 14.6 lb Principa
40 cal (2.95in) (b) 15,000 Incendiary
HE Shrapnel
10(1921) 76.2mm (a) 25,000 15 2,220 HE 12.7 lb Pedestal
40 cal (3in) (b) 12,000 Incendiary
HE Shrapnel
14(1925) 105mm (a) 36,000 8 7 tons 2,300 HE 35 lb
(4.14in) (b) 20,000
89(1929) 127mm (a) 35,000 8-10 2,370 HE, AP, 50 lb Single
(5in) (b) 15,000 fixed and dou
semi-fixed
Notes for table
(1) The Japanese also used a Model 92 (1932) 7.7mm (.303in) MG almost identical with the Lewis, which
.303in, MkVII ammunition.
(2) The Japanese also used a 20mm (.79in) AA, MG, Oerlikon model.
The round was fired by dropping it into the mortar in the usual fashion. Ignition of the propelling
charge ignited a delay element in the projectile, which, in due course, ignited an expelling charge
in the projectile. This expelling charge expelled seven canisters from the projectile, the seven
canisters and two sections of the projectile case being carried away on small parachutes. The
canisters in turn ejected high explosive 'shrapnel' tubes, which detonated violently. Each of the
seven shrapnel tubes was 3 1/2 long by 11/16in in diameter, and each contained a little less than
1/2 oz of explosive.
This mortar had an effective vertical range of 3,000-4,000ft. However, as there was no way of
adjusting the time delay of the projectile, the altitude of burst depended largely on the angle of
elevation at which the mortar was fired. The shrapnel tubes were the only components containing
high explosive, and the major hazard was the blast effects of these tubes — approximately 10yd;
the fragments produced by the explosion were too small to be effective.
(Picture Removed due to Crappyness)

70mm barrage mortar. /IWM
Japanese Artillery Anti-tank, Mountain and Field

Weapon Model Calibre Length of MV (ft/sec) Type Shell Weight Range max
bore (cal) (lb)
Anti-tank 94 — 1934 37mm 40 2,300 AP 1.54 5,500

gun (1.45in) HE
Anti-tank 11-1041 47mm 99.48 2,700 AP 3.37 --
gun (1.85in) HE 3.08
Mountain 94 — 1934 75rnm 21 1,300 HE 13.4 9,800

gun mtn gun (2.95in) Shrapnel
Chemical
AP
Field gun 38 — 1905 75mm -- -- HE 14.3 9,025
(2.95in) AP
Shrapnel
Smoke
Field gun 38 — 1905 75mm 108in -- HE 14.3 12,565
improved (barrel) AP
Shrapnel
Smoke
Field gun 90 — 1930 75mm 44 2,230 HE 14.3 13,300
AP
Shrapnel
Smoke
Field gun 95 — 1935 75mm -- 1,640 HE 14.3 12,000
AP
Shrapnel
Smoke
Chemical
Field 91 — 1931 105mm 24 1,790 HE 35 11,500
howitzer (4.14in) AP
Shrapnel
Chemical
Japanese Artillery Medium, Field Heavy and Siege

Weapon Model Calibre Length MV (ft/sec) Type Shell Range
of bore Weight max (yd
(cal) (lb)
Medium Taisho 4 150mm 22 1,350 HE, 80 7,560

howitzer (1915) and (5.90in) AP
later models CW
Shrapnel,
Smoke
Medium 96(1936) 150mm 22 -- HE 80 11,400
howitzer (5.90in) AP
Shrapnel
Smoke
Medium gun 14 (1925) 105mm -- 2,040 HE 33 14,500
(4.14in) AP
Shrapnel
Chemical
Medium gun 92 (1932) 105mm -- 2,500 HE 33 (HE) 20,100
(4.14in) AP
Chemical
Smoke
Gun 89(1929) 150mm — — HE 80 22,000
(5.90in) AP
Shrapnel
Howitzer 45(1912) 240mm — — HE 400 11,000
(9.44in)
Rly gun — 240mm — 3,560 HE 440 54,500
(9.44in)
Howitzer — 30cm (11.8in) 196in 1,310 HE 880 12,750
Howitzer — 30cm (11.8in) 324in 1,140 HE 1,100 16,600

Siege howitzer 41cm (16in) 538in 1,760 HE 2,200 21,200
Japanese Mortars
Model Calibre Length Total Range (yd) Ammunition
Weight
(lb)
98(1938)* 50mm 2ft 1in 48 450 approx (Stick (a) HE stick 141b
(1.97in) bomb) (b) Demolition tube 18.5 Rang
320 approx lb
(Demolition tube)
Taisho 11 70mm 2ft 6in 133.75 1,700 max HE 4.7 lb
(2.75in) Propellant in base Ob
Operation similar to
Model 98 HE shell
Barrage 70mm 4ft 25 4,000ft vertical Projectile contains 7
(2.75in) (approx) (approx) bombs each with a Chiefl
parachute
97 81mm(3.18in) 4ft 1.5in 145 3,100 max (1) 6.93 lb (1) Light Shell
(1937)* 550 (approx)min 14 lb (2) Heavy Shell Intercha
(1) 81
1,300 max (2)
210 min (2)
99(1939)* 81mm 2ft 52 2,000 max HE smoke
small (3.18in) 1.25in 6.93 lb Trigg
(barrel) Can fire
wit
94(1934)* 90mm 4ft 4in 342 4, 150 max HE
(3.54in) (barrel) 600 min (approx) Incendiary U-sh
11.5 lb Ob
97 90mm 4ft3.37in 233 4, 150 max HE 11.5 lb Rep
(1937)* (3.54in) (barrel) Incendiary
light
93 (1933) 150mm 4ft 11in 220(barrel) Sighted to 2, 100m
(5.9in) (barrel) Total 558 (2,296yd)
56 lb HE
97(1937) 150mm 4ft 11in Total 778 Sighted to 2,100m
(5.9in) (barrel) (2,296yd)
98(1938) 250mm 2ft 10in 900 1,000 max Model 98 HE shell 674
(9.8in) (spigot) (estimated) lb, 320mm (12.5in)diam
* These are the infantry mortars described on pages 53-59
Chapter 6 Engineer and Chemical Warfare Units

Engineers
As the field companies of the non-specialised Japanese divisional engineers were frequently
overworked, any extensive engineering duties normally had to be carried out by independent
engineer regiments. Such regiments, Dokuritsu Kohei Reniai, included units for general
engineering employment as well as specialists.
In 1940 the Imperial Army had several types of multi-purpose independent engineer regiments
— each carrying out different engineering tasks such as bridge-building, operating landing
barges etc. However, as the war progressed the system changed and a distinct series of different
units were raised and trained in the more specialised types of work. Consequently by 1944 three
different types of independent engineer regiments existed. First of all there were those regiments,
battalions and companies, which were designed for employment on general field engineer tasks
— although some of the regiments and battalions might well include specialist companies in
their organisation. Similarly equipped to the divisional field engineer regiments, such regiments
in an advance would take over the tasks and responsibilities of the divisional engineers'
regiments as the division moved on. They were expected to tackle any military engineering job,
to make the most of the light miscellaneous equipment they carried and to improvise with local
materials. Every engineer carried a rifle and was trained to fight as an infantryman. Such 'general
purpose' units also carried a number of machine guns for local and anti-aircraft protection and
pack flame-throwers were often carried on a scale of one per platoon.
The second type of independent engineer unit — battalions (Dokuritsu Kohei Daitai, and
Companys (Dokuritsu Kohei Chutai) — had a specialised role. Engineer battalions, equipped
with barges or landing craft, consisting of two companies and a stores platoon, functioned as
shipping and sea transport units. Other companies specialised in surmounting river obstacles, and
these bridge-building and river-crossing units were usually sent up to assist the divisional
engineers when their services were called for. Their job was to carry heavy bridge and boat
equipment and they were organised on both horse or motor transport establishments.
Another of the specialised engineer units was the shipping engineer regiment, the Sempaku
Kohei Rental, which was responsible for operating barges for the Japanese Army. Army shipping
groups, which were branches of the army shipping administration, controlled the administration
and movement of the shipping engineer regiments as a whole. Since, however, the shipping
engineers were an integral part both of landing operations and of water-borne supply, they
frequently came under the operational control of the local field commander and a number of
them, renamed 'sea transport units', eventually became permanently attached to certain divisions.
The shipping engineer regiment consisted of a headquarters, three companies, and a service
company. The three companies were each organised into a headquarters and four platoons; the
platoon contained four to seven boat sections and a service section. Each boat section operated a
landing craft or barge, usually one of the three main types of landing craft shown in the
following table. The Daihatsu Army Type 'A' — a vessel of clumsy appearance but proven
usefulness and versatility — was probably the most widely used type. In addition, the various
headquarters probably had a number of armoured boats (armed with a 57mm (2.24in) gun),
reserve landing craft, and various small craft bringing the regimental total to 120-150 vessels.
Types of Japanese Landing Craft

Type Crew Armament
Tokubetsu Daihatsu Special large 8-10 20mm (.787in) Machine cannon, 4 Often used to
craft LMGs
Daihatsu Army Type 'A' large craft 5-7 One or more HMG or 20mm (.787in) or Trans
37mm (1.45in) gun
Shohatsu Types 'B' and 'C' small 3-5 MMG Principally for
craft
Summarising their role: Japanese shipping engineers were responsible for moving troops in
water-borne operations, supply by water, and the unloading of ships at anchorages. In the island
war in the S W Pacific, therefore, they were extremely important.
Also numbered among the specialist engineer units was a variety of field and road construction
units, the Yasen Kenchikutai and Yasen Dorotai, stevedore and 'anchorage' units at ports, field
well drilling companies etc. In fact most of these units consisted of a few trained and armed
Japanese engineers in charge of coolie labour.
Finally, the remaining type of engineers was specially designed and equipped for assault
engineering with armoured vehicles. With an establishment of about 1,000 all ranks, this
regiment was organised into three companies each with 175 men and four tankettes as well as 14
lorries to carry specialised demolition equipment, including explosives, flamethrowers etc; and a
regimental ammunition train with a reserve of three tankettes and 17 lorries for the carriage of
stores.
Japanese Engineer Equipment Principal Demolition Equipment and Mines

Equipment Model Dimensions Total weight Explosive
100 gm demolition — 2in by 2in by 1 in 100 gm Cast picric acid Wrappe
charge (3.5oz)
1 kg demolition — 2.875in by 2.125 in l,300 gm 2 lb 3 oz Charge co
charge by 8in (2 lb 12oz)
Magnetic Atk 99 Diam 4.75in 2 lb 11oz 1.5 lb TNT in eight Also an infan
demolition charge (1939) Thickness 1.5in blocks 'magnetic At
to a
Mine, anti-personnel 93 Diam 6.75in 3 lb 2 lb Igniter provid
Atk (1933) various stren
Mine, anti-personnel Dutch Diam 8.25in 9.5 lb 5.5 lb TNT Firing

Atk (PW2- Thickness 3.5in
41
Mine, Atk Yardstick Length 36in 10.5 lb 6 lb picric acid Ellipti
Width 3.5in Three
Firing press
on a
Bangalore torpedo 99 Length oa (one (one tube) 10 TNT and RDX Several tubes
(1939) tube) 46in lb
Pu
do
Mine, land, non- 3 (1943) (a) Diam 10.5in (a)? 10.5 lb Amatol 50/50 or Body m
metallic Height 3.5in ammonium nitrate HE Igniter
(b) Diam 8.5in combined
Height 3.5in (a) larger type 6.5 lb
(b) smaller type 4.5 lb
Mine, anti-boat 98 Diam (base) 20in 106.5 lb 461b trinitroanisol Two l
hemispherical (1938) Height 10.5in (TNA)
Mine, anti-boat Tea- 2 (1942) Diam (base) 65-70 lb 22 lb Bell or tr
Kettle' 14.25in TNA/dipicrylamine B
(top) 7in 60/40 Single lead
Height oa 16in elec
Actuating p
Chemical Warfare Units
Although the Japanese did not use gas in World War II, they were certainly capable of doing so.
Moreover, they were also able to defend themselve, if the Allies had engaged in chemical
warfare. On the one hand they had established factories for poison gas manufacture and created a
number of specialised chemical warfare units which could have formed the basis of an offensive
chemical warfare organisation. On the other hand, before hostilities started they had developed
anti-gas measures and issued an efficient respirator to their services.
Each Japanese division had a number of trained 'gas personnel' who were responsible for the
defensive aspects and the offensive units consisted of a 'gas battalion' and a number of
independent gas companies. The men of these gas units were armed and equipped as medium
and heavy mortar units, and if the Japanese had decided to use gas it would undoubtedly have
been projected by means of these weapons.
At the beginning of the war a few divisions also had decontamination units with equipment (in
vehicles and trailers) for dealing with contaminated clothing and for decontaminating roads. As
the war progressed, however, and no gas warfare developed these units tended to disappear and
their personnel was absorbed as infantry reinforcements.
Navy type gas mask.

Civil Defence corps gas mask.
Army type gas mask.
Chapter 7 Special Forces

Cavalry
Japanese cavalry deserves a brief mention if only because the Imperial Army maintained a
number of independent cavalry brigades right up to the end of the war. These brigades were
formations of two regiments and supporting arms. The horsed regiments consisted of four sabre
companiess and one machine gun company, sabre companies each having a nominal strength of
186 while the machine gun company had an establishment of 167 all ranks to man its four
medium machine gun and one anti-tank platoons. Sabre companies, organised into a company
headquarters and three platoons, had eight light machine guns and four 'knee-mortars' in addition
to the carbines carried by individual troopers.
To support the two cavalry regiments the independent cavalry brigades had a horse artillery
regiment equipped with eight 75mm mountain or field guns, a light tank unit of 12 light tanks, an
anti-tank company, and sometimes a machine cannon company with four anti-aircraft machine
guns.
Only a few of these brigades existed and all but one of them was stationed in Manchuria.
Paratroops and Airborne Forces
Both the Japanese Army and the Imperial Navy had paratroops, the basic army parachute unit
being the regiment (Teishin Rental, literally 'Raiding Regiment') — commanded by a major or
lieutenant-colonel, with a jumping strength of about 600, and organised into a headquarters,
three companies and a supply section.
The combat uniform of army parachutists was a dark khaki overall, web equipment, crash
helmet, and strong rubber or leather boots. The parachute regiment, when employed against the
Allies in the opening stages of the Japanese war (at Palembang and Koepang, February 1942),
was armed with pistol, hand grenades, rifle and bayonet (the rifleman carrying 30 to 40 rounds
on the jump), light machine gun and 2in knee-mortar. A light pack flame-thrower was added
later.
Japanese doctrine on the use of airborne troops did not differ from that of Western armies, and
an embryo airborne formation known as the 'Airborne Group' (Teishin Dan — literally 'Raiding
Group') was formed during the war. This formation comprised two parachute regiments,
two'squadrons of aircraft to carry the parachutists, and a glider regiment.
Amphibious Brigades
[The term 'amphibious brigade' is used in this context for convenience, but is not a literal
equivalent: Kaijo Kido Ryodan, the Japanese term, means literally 'Mobile seaborne brigade'.]
In 1943, a number of 'amphibious brigades' were raised to meet the special problems of
defending outlying groups of islands in the Japanese Empire and those under Japanese
occupation. Such formations, commanded by a major-general, had an infantry component of
three heavily armed independent infantry battalions (all drawn from independent garrison units)
and supporting units of tanks, dual-purpose machine cannon, engineers, and signals. It had no
brigade artillery unit, but each infantry battalion had a gun company as well as a mortar
company.
Its transport was its most remarkable feature. The amphibious brigade transport unit was
identical with the 'sea transport unit' which appeared during the winter 1943-44 in a number of
divisions which were specially organised for island warfare. In effect the amphibious brigade
transport unit was originally a shipping engineer regiment, reorganised and expanded for its new
duties. Equipped with barges or landing-craft, it was about 1,500 strong and consisted of four
transport companies, an escort company, and a material depot or stores park.
The Japanese intention in forming these amphibious brigades was probably to use them as a
mobile reserve, which could be held at some central point of a group of islands and rushed to any
point threatened with Allied attack. But often from circumstances outside their control their
intentions did not work out in practice, and the forces intended for counterattack found
themselves tied down to static defence. One amphibious brigade was intended for some such role
in the Marshall Islands, but in fact had to be split up and used to garrison four atolls.
The men of these brigades were armed with the usual run of conventional weapons — rifles,
machine guns, 81mm mortars, 75mm mountain guns, 37mm anti-tank guns. But the amphibious
infantry battalions were stronger in heavy weapons than the battalions in standard infantry
divisions.
Independent Motorised Brigades
A special and unique independent mixed brigade, with motor transport for all arms, was met and
destroyed by Allied Forces in the SW Pacific in 1943. Its infantry component was an infantry
regiment of three battalions, each of four companies. (The regiment had, until the formation of
the brigade, formed part of an infantry division.) The supporting arms included medium artillery
and an abnormally strong brigade tank unit of 15 medium and 50 light tanks.
1 Scout car 95 (1933).
2 Truck Model 81.
3 Truck Model 94A and 94B ( 1934).
4 Truck Model 2601.
(Scale 1mm - 1 m)
Bryan Posten
South Seas Detachment
A series of numbered defence forces (called Nanpo Shitai — literally meaning 'Southern Area
Detached Unit') were created from existing regiments for duties on various island groups in the
SW Pacific area.
Three of the South Sea detachments consisted of two infantry battalions and a small tank unit
(strength 55; eight light tanks). Detachment HQ had a signals section and a transport section. The
battalions had three weak rifle companies only 103 strong, a machine gun company and a
battalion gun company. In one of these detachments the battalion machine gun companies were
found to include two anti-tank platoons, while the battalion gun company consisted of two anti-
tank platoons and two mortar platoons. In this instance, all the artillery and other supporting
arms which were available locally had been added to the force.
Two other South Seas detachments had a bigger original establishment, though they were based
on the same battalion of 531 all ranks with a rifle/LMG company of 103. They had three
battalions instead of two and an engineer company. Finally, one South Seas detachment was
organised with only one battalion, a tank company, and detachment headquarters.
Land Forces of the Japanese Navy
Many of the landing operations carried out by the Japanese in the course of their East Asia and
Pacific conquests were performed by land forces of the Imperial Navy, Having seized
innumerable Pacific islands the Navy then found itself committed to their defence, and
consequently the forces originally created for seaborne attack had to be reorganised for garrison
and defensive duties on groups of islands in the Pacific and the China Sea. They were, in fact,
anti-landing forces, although they continued to be known as Special Naval Landing Forces.
The organisation and strength of such forces was variable, since the Japanese reorganised them
for defensive missions as the need arose, and strengthened particular forces as the situation
required it. Principal weapons of two such forces, the Maizuru 2 and the Yakosuka 7 Special
Naval Landing Forces, engaged in the defence of New Georgia, were conventional army
equipments — rifles, machine guns, mortars, anti-tank and anti-aircraft guns.
Chapter 8 The Japanese Army in Action

The conclusion to be derived from the previous chapters is that Japanese weapons in World War
II were, on the whole, below Western standards in quality. But they existed in quantities
sufficient for the needs of the Imperial Army, and the soldiers who employed them were tough
and generally well-trained. It is not proposed to describe the tactics used by the Japanese;
sufficient to say they were daring in attack, stubborn in defence and even when the position
seemed hopeless they usually went on fighting to the death.
Our concern here is rather more with the way they employed their equipment, and its suitability.
To begin with it must be appreciated that Japanese soldiers were not all either the skinny,
scrawny, or chubby and bow-legged characters depicted in wartime propaganda cartoons. Some
of them were magnificent examples of what a Spartan existence can do towards improving
physique. Nearly all Japanese are athletic enthusiasts; indeed, Kung-Fu expertise apart, some of
the finest acrobats and athletes come from Honshu. Apart from their athletic prowess, however,
the Japanese soldiers of World War II were accustomed to long hours of hard work, and if they
were properly directed a squad of Japanese infantrymen could dig their way through a mountain
— as the bunkers and prodigious earthworks in Burma, Guadalcanal or Okinawa testified.
In effect the peasant background of the average Japanese soldier had other advantages. To men
used to carrying 2001b of rice seedlings on their backs, lugging heavy equipment over long
jungle trails was a very small problem. Battalion and regimental guns, and mountain artillery
were manhandled into positions deep in the jungle and Allied troops often found themselves
being shelled from unexpected directions. In appraising the staying power of his men for
carrying operations of this nature the Japanese officer also deserves credit. The officers rarely
underestimated the capabilities of their men, and Japanese infantry men were probably the first
soldiers in the world to learn that there is no such thing as impenetrable jungle.
Columns of Japanese troops on the march never presented a very military appearance. The men
tended to walk rather than to march, straggling to their destination in the quickest and least
troublesome fashion. At halts they made themselves as comfortable as possible, and it was
customary to pick items such as firewood up en route. Years of active service and realistic
training instilled in the Japanese Imperial Army a healthy respect for results rather than
appearances. As with the Israeli Army today, formal discipline was reserved for the parade
ground; in the field emphasis was on marching and tactical training.
The Japanese knew how to live off the land, and to make the best of their environment. Apart
from teams of 'comfort girls', the men in the field had few amenities. There were no mobile
cinemas, no NAAFI, no PX; and the Japanese supply services did not send out large quantities of
foodstuffs from metropolitan Japan. Expeditionary forces in Burma and China got their food by
commandeering local supplies. In more remote areas the Japanese supplemented their rations by
shooting and fishing; fish was often procured by the simple expedient of tossing a grenade into a
jungle stream. Once they killed the game or fish they cut it up and cooked it either in their mess
tins or in a piece of bamboo. Rice was usually cooked in the morning and Japanese soldiers
always fed individually or in small tactical groups. There were no field kitchens in the Imperial
Army, and no men were designated as cooks for fighting units. Every man in a field formation
was a fighting soldier; there were no non-combatants or non-effective personnel. Every man was
responsible for the preparation of his own food. Rice was a compact easily-carried ration.
Usually it was carried in a sort of stocking, open at one end for pouring.
Japanese mess-tins generally had one or two trays which fitted under the lid; these and the lid
served as 'plates'. Japanese water bottles were somewhat bigger than the British and American
equivalent. And as they were hung on a separate sling and not attached to the rest of the man's
personal equipment, the individual soldier could take a drink without undoing his belt while on
the line of march. March discipline did not preclude him from doing so.
Every other item of the Japanese combat soldier's personal equipment, including his pack and
horse-shoe blanket roll — was practical and adequate, though its appearance was not
prepossessing. In Burma and Indo-China the infantry added much to their mobility by utilising
every bit of civilian transport they could lay their hands on. Tarmac roads in these countries
made bicycles especially useful. However, in places where no roads existed the Japanese
continued to place a high value on such 'transport'. As most of them had never owned a cycle
before, they were keen to keep the ones they had 'liberated'. In consequence, bicycles with
Singapore registrations were found in remote jungle areas on Guadalcanal.
Just as their troops were reluctant to discard loot they had collected in the course of a campaign,
so too were Japanese officers loath to be without their swords. Wherever they went these
symbols of authority and status accompanied them. Pilots carried swords in their aircraft, visiting
staff officers were never photographed without them, and all combatant officers of company
commander and below wore them continuously. Some noncommissioned officers also carried
swords, and every Japanese who did so also carried a silk cloth and cleaning material with which
to polish the blade — many of which were hundreds of years old and treasured accordingly.
The Chinese used to speak disparagingly of the Japanese as 'Monkey People'. Whether or not the
features of some Japanese justified the description, there was little doubt that many Japanese
soldiers could swarm up trees with the ease of monkeys. Split-toed sandals made the climb easier
— the tread on the soles enabling the man wearing them to retain a firm grip and the separated
big toe feature allowing him to feel his footing much better than with boots or shoes. All
accounts of battles in South-East Asia and the Pacific invariably refer to the effectiveness of
Japanese snipers posted in trees. In fact the Japanese used trees more for observation purposes
than for sniping, but when they did take up sniping positions in the trees they were often
extremely difficult to locate and to dislodge. Not only were they camouflage-conscious, they
would also tie themselves into positions, so that they remained in place even if wounded.
Fortunately for Allied troops the average Japanese infantryman was not a good shot and, for the
technical reasons that have been described, his Arisaka rifle was not a good weapon for accurate
shooting. But it was adequate, and the Japanese infantry developed an effective method of
shooting from a squatting position which most British and American soldiers — less flexible in
muscle and tendon than the Japanese — would have found awkward. This squatting position was
never taught formally but presumably evolved in the field, as a natural adaptation of the Japanese
civilian 'squat'. (Peasants squat down to talk to each other in rural Japan, and rest in the same
position.)
In this respect the Japanese were always quick to try to adapt any method old or new. For
example, when they found that barbed wire prevented them creeping up to Allied positions, and
they were unable to cut their way through the wire without revealing their presence they adopted
suicide tactics. Men detailed as wire-cutters would carry an explosive pack tied to their bodies. If
they were shot, there was every possibility of the detonators on the explosive pack being hit at
the same time. And if the individual was only wounded, as like or not he would pull out a safety
pin and do the same thing — blowing away the wire he would not have time to cut. Many
Japanese engineers who crawled up to Allied positions had suicide chaarges tied to their bodies
with this idea in mind. Similarly when British tanks were deployed in Central Burma in 1944,
and the Japanese realised that their anti-tank weapons could not cope with the threat, Japanese
infantrymen were positioned across lines of approach as living anti-tank devices.
[ In the writer's experience these men were given an aircraft bomb and large stone with which to
strike the nose fuse when a tank overran their position.]
But the Japanese will be remembered primarily for their offensive rather than defensive tactics in
World War II. Japanese infantry won the war in China, Indo-China, Malaya and the Dutch East
Indies and the Pacific — and subsequently lost it — with attacks which culminated in Banzai
charges. These assaults which proved so effective against the poorly-armed Chinese and
inexperienced Allied troops were the outstanding feature of Japanese tactics. Based on the 19th
century concept that cold steel could match fire power it became the very symbol of Japanese
stupidity. For these tactics Japanese infantry weapons and the training associated with them were
more than adequate. But a determined enemy can always stop a Banzai charge and mow down
his opponents even with a bolt-action rifle. With a self-loading or automatic weapon a Banzai
charge could be converted into a massacre.
When the Japanese realised this and were compelled to revert to the defensive they and their
outmoded weapons were at a disadvantage. As always their soldiers were brave, extremely
stubborn, and well disciplined. Moreover they could still fight and dig well.
Officer's pack. / Bryan Fosten
1 Other rank's equipment with entrenching tool (2).
3 Gas mask
4 Brace fastener.
Bryan Fasten
Appendix 1 Organisation of Japanese Infantry Divisions

Appendix 2 Organisation of Japanese Independent Formations
Appendix 3 Organisation of a Japanese Tank Regiment

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JAPANESE ARMY HANDBOOK 1939-1945

Acknowledgements and Bibliography

First published 1979 ISBN 0 7110 0833 7

Chapter 1 The Japanese Soldier

1 Other rank's brown marching boot.

Chapter 2 Organisation of the Japanese Army

[The organisation of a typical mixed brigade is shown in Appendix 2.]

left: Winter wear for tank crews.

[See Appendix 3 for the organisation of a tank regiment.]

Yahohei Field artillery

Telecommunication equipment. (picture removed due to crappyness)

Japanese radio and signal equipment. (Pic removed due to crappyness)

Miscellaneous Specialist Troops

Chapter 3 Japanese Infantry Weapons

Designation and Markings

Meiji: from 1868 to 1912

A list of the characters encountered in the nomenclature of Japanese wartime stores is

Small Arms Ammunition

Nomenclature of Ammunition associated with individual Japanese

6.5mm Type 96 (1936) Light Machine Gun Explosive

7.7mm Type 92 (1932) Medium Machine Gun Standard Ball Armour-

7,7mm Type 99 (1939) Paratrooper's Rifle

Standard Ball: Red

(PIC REMOVED DUE TO CRAPPYNESS)

Specification of the Meiji 38

Muzzle velocity 2,400 feet/sec (2,690 feet/sec)

(Pic removed to crappy scan)

Sights, front Blade

Pistols and Revolvers

(Pics removed due to crap Scan)

Length of barrel 4.69in

(PIcs removed due to crappy scan)

Below: Jap 20mm anti-tank gun.

Characteristics of the 9mm German MP40 (Schmeisser)

Light Machine Guns

(Picture removed due to crap scan)

Left: Type 92 heavy machine gun.

Medium Machine Guns

Length 38in (without flash hider)

Weight of gun and carriage 836 lb

(Pic Removed due to crap Scan)

Colonel in M1938 blouse.

Lieutenant in M1930 blouse.

Bayonets and Swords

An earlier type of anti-tank mine Type 93. / Bryan Posten

(Pic removed due to crap)

(Pic removed due to crap)

(Pic removed due to crappyness)

How not to fire the 'knee-mortar'.

Total weight 1451b 2oz 50,81b

Length of barrel, overall 52.375in 50in

Japanese Infantry Support Weapons

Classification: Japanese tanks were divided into:

Tankettes 3 to 4.5 tons

Engines: The Japanese used air-cooled diesel engines.

Characteristics of Individual AFVs

Japanese Tankette: Series M2592, M2594

Light Tank: Early Model, series M2593

Light Tank: Series M2595